Stolen Heritage
by Mamoro
Summary: When Kenshin is confronted with a stranger from the distant past, it leads further down the rabbit hole than he imagined; it's a good thing that Kaoru would never let him face it alone. "... I'd know you anywhere… Shinta."
1. Chapter 1

_Please take the rating very seriously, guys. This is a story about adults, and written for adult readers. There will be some naughty language, violence, and sex. Please don't read it if you are offended by such things. *Sex will (hopefully) be discretely separated from the main story so that you may scroll and skip if you wish.*_

Kenshin's looks are very distinctive, and I feel like if he's so recognizable, it's entirely possible to be recognized by someone unexpected.

* * *

Prologue

Kenshin's back _itched_.

It was centered right between his shoulder blades, which usually meant he was being watched. He smiled cheerfully at his wife as she handed him yet another package, and he managed to balance the thing on top of his stack. He shifted away from her a bit, placing himself further in front of the sticky, redheaded toddler, effectively hiding the little boy between the leg of his hakama and the vendor's cart.

He quickly and unobtrusively scanned the vicinity and observed the same thing he had for the last hour: nothing. There was nothing; the only malevolent intentions around were those of the dishonest greengrocer two stalls down, and the distressingly tatty-looking little pickpocket working on the edge of the crowd of shoppers. Most likely it was just someone unduly interested in his sword or his hair, but still... he _itched_.

"Kaoru-dono, this is surely enough, so it is. This one will not be able to carry much more." Kaoru's sweet blue eyes glanced up and he met her gaze with a mild, passive, open stare: _this one is hiding nothing, this one's thoughts are no deeper than puddles..._

Kaoru's eyes narrowed with frustrating shrewdness – was it really so much to ask for her to fall for the rurouni act _occasionally_? – so Kenshin was forced to take desperate measures. He minutely shifted his load of packages, allowing a couple to topple, _away_ from his son, and he would have cheerfully allowed them to hit the ground if it meant convincing his wife to hurry. Kaoru caught both falling things with well-honed reflexes (Kenshin thought that one was the radishes and the other must have been her new ribbon) and her face was a study in irritation, but her eyes were still suspicious.

"Mama?" Kenji peered out from Kenshin's shadow. "Mama, Kenji tired. Go home?"

Kaoru's beloved face softened for their son, and knowing that she was about to concede, Kenshin couldn't quite suppress his small sigh of relief. Her eyes were very sharp now, and the look she gave Kenshin promised something along the lines of _'later explanations or pain'_ but she was all smiles for their little boy.

"Of course, Kenji-chan, Mama was just finishing," and she quietly paid for the thread for which she'd been bargaining. Kenshin's face was carefully clueless, and he turned his little family towards the safety of home, carefully positioning both his wife and son, which was all pretty pointless when he couldn't figure out what he was protecting them _from._

They walked in silence for several minutes, weaving through the usual mid-morning crowd, down familiar streets and past familiar vendors. Slightly ahead and to his left, Kaoru was politely acknowledging the people they knew as they passed by. Kenshin absentmindedly did the same, hoping that he wasn't giving offense as he continued questing for that unknown presence. Finally, the crowd thinned and the last turn towards the dojo inched closer. He twitched his shoulders as the itch intensified.

"Stop!"

Kenshin turned towards the voice, dumping the packages into Kaoru's flustered arms and pushing his little boy to the side of the road all at the same time, as though someone had released the tension from a giant spring. He knew his eyes were sharp blue and his hand on the sakabatou's hilt appeared far from harmless, but no one with good intentions would have followed them _all morning_ and _who_ \- ?!

…It was an old woman. No, it was a _tiny_ old woman. It was a tiny old woman that looked quite alarmed by his response and had a completely benign energy. Kenshin relaxed a fraction, still alert for another threat, still high-strung and defensive.

The old woman's mouth was opening and closing, clearly so surprised by his reaction that she had forgotten whatever it was she'd meant to say.

"Obaa-san?" Kaoru's voice was calm, and she stepped forward slightly. Kenshin took an involuntary half-step forward and in her direction, re-positioning himself between his wife – and the tiny, startled old woman. Kaoru flicked a look at him and he knew that she was debating between soothing him and whacking him in the head, but she thankfully chose to address the stranger instead.

"Obaa-san, can we help you?" The little old woman looked at Kaoru. Kenshin had to repress the urge to block her line of sight.

"Er... yes, I think so." The woman was responding to Kaoru's attempt to mollify her. She looked back to Kenshin, who was still fierce and silent and just beginning to feel foolish. The woman squared her shoulders. "Yes. Yes, you can."

"What do you want?" Kenshin's voice was harsher than he'd intended.

"It's just... I just couldn't let you get away." Kaoru sucked in a sharp breath and pressed Kenji further behind her. Kenshin was still, fairly thrumming as he waited for what would happen next.

The woman took a small step forward. "I... it's just... your hair..." She pressed a fist against her chest, and her next words were a whisper.

"I'd know you anywhere, Shinta."

* * *

 **Wherein I confess my sins and explain why not everyone from Kenshin's childhood is dead.**

Cholera: a disease usually resulting from contaminated water sources.

Lethality: Severe cholera, without treatment, kills about _half_ of affected individuals

Symptoms: Notably hallmarked by diarrhea, cholera has been nicknamed the "blue death" because a person's skin may turn bluish-gray from extreme loss of fluids. Fever is rare. Patients can be lethargic, and might have sunken eyes, dry mouth, cold clammy skin, wrinkled hands and feet, muscle cramping and weakness, confusion, seizures, or coma.

Canon Sins:

I have taken a couple of liberties with canon, specifically ages and timeline.

I refuse to consider that Kaoru is _fifteen_ at the start of the Manga, 'cause that makes me feel like a creep and that Kenshin is a weirdo, and I'm not down with that. The manga said Kaoru was seventeen, I don't give a crap what old school eastern age reckoning has to say, she's _seventeen_. Don't bother trying to convince me that it's a different time, and it's fine; it's not fine with _me_ , and it's my story.

Here is where my complete age-fuckery comes into being:

1\. At the start of the Manga, if Kaoru is 17, then Kenshin is 28, Yahiko is 10. The Manga starts in very early spring and ends in autumn, so... March to November, we'll say. 1879.

2\. Culturally, everyone considers themselves a year older with the New Year, so very quickly, Kenshin is now 29, Kaoru 18, Yahiko 11. 1880.

I'll have the couple court for a while before marriage.

3\. So, one wedding later and now: Kenshin 30, Kaoru 19, Yahiko 12. 1881.

4\. The next New Year, 'cause babies take nine months: Kenshin 31, Kaoru 20, Yahiko 13, Kenji is a tiny, newborn infant (yes, I've got Kenji's birthday in winter, not summer, I said they were sins, didn't I?) 1882.

5\. In this story Kenji is 2, by Western reckoning, and that makes Kenshin 33, Kaoru 22, Yahiko 15. 1884.

 **So** , this story is set in spring, and yes, Kenshin is 33, which makes Yahiko 15, but this story IS set before Kenshin gives away the sakabatou, just not by very much. Still with me? Good.

Managed to squeeze all of that _right in_ there without feeling like a kiddie-sex creep. Go me. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Firstly, all due praise to my amazing beta reader, Animanical! Thank you!

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Y'all know I'm a sweet fluffy writer, right? Well, this story will be darker than my usual but it's not what I would consider a dark fic honestly, it will lighten up soon. For the first chapter or two, just remember that Kenshin is having a bad day. Cut the poor guy a break...

* * *

 _The woman took a small step forward. "I'd- it's just- your hair..." She pressed a fist against her chest, and her next words were a whisper._

" _I'd know you anywhere, Shinta."_

* * *

Kenshin's world spun away from him, as though he were standing in a tunnel. He heard Kaoru gasp off to his right, followed by Kenji's high little voice.

"No, no. Daddy _. Da-dd-y,"_ the little boy tried to explain. Kenshin felt his heartbeat echoing in his ears.

"Yes, little one, _your_ daddy, but he was once Shinta, too," the woman corrected gently.

"Don't talk to my son!" Kenshin's lips felt numb and he was breathing too fast, and he was just so very _angry..._

Kaoru stepped towards him a little. "Kenshin..." But Kenshin had already spun around, turning his back on the old woman, and snatched his little boy into his arms. He walked to Kaoru with a stiff-legged gait, spinning her around with a hand on pressed to her lower back (gently, _always_ gently), propelling her back towards home, _away_ from that woman. Kaoru made protesting noises, looking over her shoulder at the old woman and trying to balance all of those ridiculous packages.

"We're going home. Don't follow us," he snarled.

He could feel the shock and hurt from the little old lady, heard her ragged breaths and the held-back tears in her voice. "But, Shinta!"

He whirled back around.

"That. Is. Not. My. Name." Each word was bitten off through teeth clenched so tightly that his jaw hurt. They all stood there, in the road, a frozen tableau: Kenji was quiet and still, chubby hands wound into Kenshin's collar, his small body curled into his father and afraid of what his anger might mean; Kaoru's breaths were quick and shallow, her eyes wide with shock; the old woman standing there with tear-stained cheeks and earnest eyes; and Kenshin, lashing out like a wounded animal, uncontrollably angry with this woman and her expectations, and angry with himself for his reaction, for frightening his dearest ones. They were all silent for several moments as Kenshin glared at the woman, his ki rolling like a summer storm, all lightning and fury.

The old woman lowered the hopeful hand she'd held against her chest. "I- I'm so _sorry_ , Shinta." Kenshin recoiled, and Kaoru turned a little into his body, pressed herself against his side as well as she could while holding all of the things they'd purchased that morning – even now, _always,_ offering comfort, despite the confusion that tainted her ki so deeply that Kenshin could almost taste it.

The woman took a deep, shaking breath. "I'm Manami, Kado Manami. I'm staying in Tokyo for a while. I'll have lunch tomorrow at that hot-pot restaurant, the Akabeko. Do you know it?" Kenshin's jaw flexed at this new invasion and he remained silent.

The woman shifted, her face twisted with distress. "But… I'm your aunt," she whispered.

Without speaking, Kenshin turned and walked away. Kaoru stood in the road for several seconds, staring at the woman, then turned and hurried in her husband's wake.

"Kenshin!" Her voice was breathy as she juggled her armload of things and tried to catch him. Kenshin did not wait, did not slow his long strides. He turned his face into Kenji and focused on his son, his little boy. He took in his son's scent: sweet sticky buns, dirt from playing in the market while his parents shopped, and underneath that the scent of soap and clean hair. The boy's body was still baby-chubby, his hands dimpled and his skin still so very soft. His hair was a deep red, darker than Kenshin's, and it was still too short to do anything with, a pleasant silky texture under Kenshin's cheek. The tiny boy was trying to comfort him, shaken by what had happened but knowing that his father was upset. Kenji released Kenshin's collar with one hand, and those chubby, sticky fingers were patting Kenshin's face and chest, trying to help. Kenshin tightened his arms and felt unshed tears sting his eyes.

Kaoru caught them, eyes full of questions, and Kenshin shook his head. "Not now." They walked home in terribly uncomfortable silence. Kenshin did not put down his son, seating himself on the porch still wrapped around the confused little boy. Kaoru stood in the yard, clearly torn, then let herself into the house to put down their purchases. She came out again, with tea and blankets, snugly wrapping her husband and son against the early spring chill. Then she leaned against Kenshin's shoulder and was quiet. No one drank the tea.

After a time, Kenji began to squirm and Kenshin was forced to relinquish him. Kaoru took the little boy to the outhouse and Kenji danced back into sight, forgetting the morning with the blissful in-the-now existence of a small child.

"Did it, Daddy." Kenji waited for praise, a big boy at two years old and able to go potty alone. Kenshin gave him a weak smile and patted his head. He sent Kenji off to play in the house, where it was warm, and pulled the blankets tighter around his shoulders, missing the radiant heat of that little body. Kaoru knelt next to him and reached out with concerned hands, stroking down Kenshin's hair and caressing his face.

"I'll make lunch." Her voice was a whisper, her mouth twisted with something wryly self-deprecating. "Something simple." She leaned forward to press a soft kiss to Kenshin's forehead, and went into the house. So Kenshin sat alone, not thinking, and allowed himself to be numb as he stared at the still-barren yard.

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At lunch, Kaoru insisted. "Kenshin, you will come out of the cold before you make yourself sick, and you _will_ eat something." Kenshin blinked at her with far-away eyes. Her mouth firmed. She pulled him, unresisting but unhelpful, to his feet and literally pushed him all the way to the dining table. She shoved soup and rice in front of him, and watched him with sharp eyes while she helped their son eat without making a mess of himself and the floor. Kenshin ate mechanically.

At the end of the meal, Kaoru clapped her hands. "Time for dishes." She pushed and pulled Kenshin like a marionette and he found himself washing while she dried. The familiar task and the warm and sudsy water felt wonderful, and Kenshin found he could breathe again.

"I am going to dust, and _you_ are going to help me." So Kenshin found himself with a damp rag, and together they cleaned the house with unusual vigor, the sharp tang of vinegar clearing his head while Kaoru watched him with appraising eyes. By the time they finished, Kenshin's dull shock had faded.

"It's time to start dinner." And Kaoru shoved him into the kitchen and expected him to cook while she helped and Kenji stood on a stool, pretending to help while making a cheerful mess. When the vegetables were sliced and sauced and the fish done broiling, Kenshin caught his wife around the waist, uncaring of his son's curious eyes. He pressed her close and she wrapped herself around him, her hands firm and arms strong.

"Thank you," he whispered into her hair, lips brushing against her ear.

"You're welcome." She squeezed him. "You're going to explain this later."

"Yes," he nodded. He kissed her gently, on the soft skin behind her ear, while his little boy shifted on his stool, trying to figure out what the adults were doing.

"I'll get the serving dishes," Kaoru said.

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"Kenji-chan, it's just water," Kenshin coaxed. Kenji watched him with suspicious eyes.

"Don't wanna."

"Look, Daddy is going to bathe, too."

"No."

Kenshin sighed. "You have to, Kenji-chan, you're all dirty."

"No." They faced off, Kenji eyeing his father then eyeing the door. Kenshin lunged just as Kenji darted for freedom, and with several smooth motions, managed to strip the angry little boy, reach one-handed for the bucket, and drench him. One hand and arm held Kenji close while he became steadily more slippery from the soapy cloth that Kenshin plied with a well-practiced hand. Kenji fought like an angry cat during the entire process.

"Kenji-chan, we all have to do things we don't want to do, sometimes." Kenji responded by knocking over the other rinse bucket; Kenshin reached for the second one, already prepared for such an occurrence. With his son rinsed, Kenshin plopped him into the waiting bath. Ironically, once in the tub Kenji was always as happy as a fish – it was the _washing_ that he found offensive. Kenshin took the respite to wash himself thoroughly, enjoying the ease of soaping and rinsing short hair, then settled himself in for a soak.

It was always cute, watching his son paddle around in the wonderfully hot water,and Kenshin stretched tense muscles with toe curling satisfaction while his son played. Not for the first time, Kenshin wondered at the bizarre good fortune of marrying into a family that had been able to afford the luxury of such a large private bath. Someone long ago must have really enjoyed a good soak to have to funded the of building such a structure.

Finally done playing, Kenji scooted close, cuddling into his father under Kenshin's welcoming arm. It wasn't typical, this cuddling, and Kenshin couldn't have cared less. Kaoru was a physically demonstrative person, in the bounds of their marriage even more than before, and her example had shaped their son. Kenshin soaked in the all of the affection like a sponge _._ He had had a lifetime of physical deprivation and the luxuries of hot water, filling meals, and physical touch were things he savored with unabashed delight.

Kenji was getting sleepy, relaxed from the heat and surrounded by his father's love. Kenshin sighed with regret and was preparing to leave the warmth of the bath when Kaoru abruptly appeared, towel in hand.

"Kenji-chan, time to get out. Mama needs to comb your hair dry." She smiled at her husband. "Kenshin, you stay until you're done."

Kenji moved to the edge and lifted his little arms in the universal signal for 'pick me up.' Kaoru complied, wrapping him up in towels and making a game out of drying his hair. Then they were gone, leaving Kenshin alone. No matter how he wished to delay the inevitable conversation, he couldn't stay in the bath until he passed out from heat, either.

He left the water once his fingers began to wrinkle, dried and dressed and went to talk to his wife.

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Kenji was already tucked into their bed, and Kaoru waiting in sleeping yukata and jacket _,_ her hair braided. Kenshin quietly shut the shoji and went to sit near her. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Kaoru had turned him to face the wall, his back to her, and began brushing his hair.

 _Oh, this is just cheating, that it is._ Even with short hair, Kenshin loved having it brushed, and Kaoru knew it. She brushed until his hair was dry, and then continued brushing with slow, sensuous strokes, until Kenshin's nerves were humming with pleasure, his eyelids drooping and his back relaxing. Then she rose up on her knees, the clever woman, and began kneading his shoulders and back with firm, strong hands. With her increased leverage, his warm muscles softened even further. She leaned against him, saying nothing, incidentally pressing lovely, soft curves into his back, rubbing the still-tight muscle where his neck and shoulder met.

"So," she said. "What was all of that?"

Kenshin sighed, and struggled to begin.

"Stop that, you're ruining my work," she scolded, intensifying the pressure of her massage. "... I know that you were adopted by Hiko when you were young..."

"Six," he said.

Kaoru hummed acknowledgment. "But I never thought about your family from before, I guess."

Kenshin grimaced. "This one rarely thinks of them either, that's so."

"What happened, Kenshin?"

He wondered if she'd known that it would be easier for him to tell this story to the wall than to her face. He began.

"This one was too young to remember much, that I was. My mother… got sick. And then she wouldn't get out of bed. And then my brother got sick, and my father, and my sister. This one tried to take care of them, but was very small." Kaoru stopped her massage and pressed her face against the back of his neck. "They were so sick… this one was alone with them in the house and didn't know what to do… When my mother died, this one buried her, alone." He both heard and felt Kaoru's gasp. "My father and then my brother died, too, and were buried in the cemetery on the edge of the village, although the neighbors helped me then. One night, this one fell asleep with my sister." Kenshin remembered that night with clarity, even now. Tired and sick with grief, he'd curled next to his sister for warmth and comfort, and she had been too ill to speak, but he had spoken to _her_ , babbling any thought that came into his head until he'd fallen asleep. "In the morning – my uncle came." Kaoru must have heard something in his voice, because she wrapped her arms around him, and pressed herself against his back in a silent embrace. Kenshin allowed himself to lean into her, to borrow the strength she offered so freely.

"He told me that because they had all died, except my older sister and she … that she was already blue... There was no purpose for me. He _sold_ me, Kaoru, and told me to 'be good.' This one saw the slavers pay him. And then he walked away, leaving me there, to be sold into service in the pleasure quarters. He didn't look back, not once. That village was all this one had ever known." They sat quietly together for a moment, just breathing and being, as he rested in her arms.

"That's terrible, Kenshin." Kaoru's voice was dry and hoarse.

"It was long ago, so it was."

Kaoru shifted around to face him. "Was your aunt in the marketplace _that_ uncle's wife?"

"No. This one has no memory of an Aunt Manami."

"Well, Kenshin, she could have been sick, herself…or maybe she wasn't there at that time. She could have married away from home, or been on a trip or-"

"This one will not speak with that woman, Kaoru. That life is no longer mine."

"Kenshin! This woman could truly be part of your family, surely we owe her-"

Kenshin shot to his feet. "I do not owe those people anything!" He was breathing hard, and Kaoru stared back at him, her face determined.

She rose from her seat, stubborn chin set, hands on her hips. She had just opened her mouth when Kenshin stalked away from her. There was nowhere to go, but he went anyway, ending up in the kitchen, standing in the silent dark and struggling to calm himself.

Kaoru followed him. "Kenshin…"

"I will not discuss it further."

She took a step towards him. " _Ken_ shin-"

" _No_!" The number of times Kenshin had raised his voice to his wife could be counted on one hand. Kaoru pressed her mouth into a hard line, temper in every line of her body, but she said nothing. She turned and left without another word, and Kenshin was left alone in the dark with his anger and guilt.

Kenshin stood there, long enough to feel exceptionally foolish, weary in body and mind. Finally, head down, he padded to his bedroom and quietly opened the shoji. Normally he would curl around his wife, who curled around their son, the three of them stacking against each other like parts of a whole. Tonight, Kaoru lay on an edge of the bed, facing away from the center, with Kenji snuggled against her back. He sighed and slipped beneath the covers.

He did not anticipate sleeping, but it was nice to be in bed, listening to his family's breathing. He shifted onto his side and focused on this son's sleeping face. The boy was lying on his belly, one chubby cheek smushed into the bedding, his mouth open and lips forming a heart shape. Kenshin smoothed his hair, smiling a little as Kenji snorted and snuffled into the blankets. The boy was still so small that Kenshin could span his shoulder blades with one hand. So he lay in his familiar bed and felt the quick, even breathing of a warm and trusting child under his hand. Surprisingly, Kenshin slept.

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He woke to full daylight, confused about how it had happened. He sat up and groaned as the night before came rushing back. He had a headache, his mouth tasted vile, and he owed his wife an apology. He rose and pulled on unpleasantly cool clothing, leaving the dubious warmth of his bedroom for the decidedly cold outdoors. A quick trip to the outhouse and well, a thorough brushing of his teeth and a sketchy one of his hair, and he was ready to go find Kaoru.

Kenji was playing with his carved toy horse in the main room. When he saw his father he gave a high pitched squeal of delight. Kenshin pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Daddy! Daddy! Play!" Kenshin smiled down at the grinning little boy, who was offering up his favorite toy to his father.

"Not now, Kenji-chan." He ruffled dark red hair. "Daddy has to speak to Mama, that he does." Kenji pouted briefly and then returned to playing at the table. Kaoru was standing in the door to the kitchen with an unreadable expression.

"Good morning?" _This one is a_ _half-wit._

Kaoru just raised her eyebrows and disappeared back into the kitchen. Kenshin trailed after her, feeling lower than dirt. She was at the stove, her back to him as she fiddled with something.

"Kaoru-dono…" She turned and thrust a teacup at his startled face.

"Drink this."

"Oro?"

"It will help with the headache." Kenshin accepted the teacup and set it aside. Alone together in the kitchen, he stepped close to his wife and pulled her tight against his chest. She did not return the hug, but neither did she pull away.

"This one is sorry."

Kaoru hummed.

"You are a wonderful wife, that you are."

"Yes, I am."

"This one was wrong to shout at you last night."

"Yes, you were."

"Will you forgive a foolish husband?" Her body softened against him, and she sighed and raised her arms to hug him back.

"Kenshin, you idiot." She raised a hand to stroke his hair and nuzzled briefly against his neck. Then she pushed him away. "Drink your tea." She heaved a great breath and faced the stove as though she were about to do battle. "I think I've almost got breakfast ready."

Breakfast was overcooked and under-salted, but Kenshin would not admit that to anyone, not for the world.

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	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3.**_

Kenshin's reaction in the last chapter was surprising for a lot of people, and that's okay, it was rather meant to be. :) But, adoption is a complex issue. Many adopted children want to reconnect with their birth families, and it's touching, and you hear about it on the news.

What a lot of people don't know is that many adopted children vehemently want nothing to do with their birth families, an attitude often difficult to understand, but a valid and _common_ reaction, nonetheless.

It's a short chapter this week, but just such a delicious way to end it, forgive me.

* * *

" _Kenshin, you idiot." She raised a hand to stroke his hair and nuzzled briefly against his neck. Then she pushed him away. "Drink your tea." She heaved a great breath and faced the stove as though she were about to do battle. "I think I've almost got breakfast ready."_

 _Breakfast was overcooked and under-salted, but Kenshin wouldn't admit that to anyone, not for the world._

* * *

Kaoru left the breakfast table and headed directly to the training hall. The morning class was for her beginner students, four children ranging from eight years to twelve. One of them was a girl; Kaoru was delighted.

Kenshin cleared the table and washed the dishes while Kenji played with the bubbles, swished a rag in the water, and was generally happily in Kenshin's way. Kenshin, and his Kenji-shadow, puttered around the house, doing chores and then preparing lunch.

There was a clatter at the gate that brought with it a firm, bright _ki._ Kenshin felt a rush of relief.

"Hey, Kenshin!"

Kenshin was careful to offer his usual gentle smile. "Good morning, Yahiko. You are here for lunch?" The boy, who was nearly not a boy, leaned against the table and began 'sneaking' slices of pickle, sliding a few to a giggling Kenji.

"Yeah, I had some time," he said casually, as though it had nothing to do with bumming a free lunch. Kenshin dried his hands.

"Yahiko, this one would like to ask for a favor." Brown eyes became attentive. "Would you please watch Kenji-chan for a little while?"

"What?"

"Kaoru-dono should be done with the intermediate students soon, that she should. It would only be for perhaps thirty minutes."

"But... but lunch!"

"Lunch is finished and keeping warm on the stove, that it is."

Yahiko squirmed a little. Kenji gave him a deceptively angelic smile. "Alright. Just for a few minutes, though!"

Kenshin thanked him and quickly left the house, quietly shutting the gate behind him. At the turn that lead to town, Kenshin went right without hesitation, away from the city and down the little trail that lead to his favorite place to practice.

 _This one needs to find balance again. Badly._

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In the house, Yahiko set the table for lunch, a smiling little boy running back and forth and under his feet, being a cheerful little hazard. Suddenly Kaoru blew in with a draft of cold air, her cheeks flushed and hair messy.

"Mama!"

Kaoru swung the little boy up onto her hip. "Yahiko! Where's Kenshin?"

"Oh… Out. He left a few minutes ago." Kaoru chewed her lip while Kenji played with her long bangs.

"Okay," she said, letting Kenji down. "I'm going out for a while. Watch Kenji-chan for me, okay?"

"Wha-what?!" Yahiko screeched.

Kaoru threw on a jacket. "I'll be back in an hour."

"But- no! Hey! Where are you-" Before he could finish his protests, the shoji was closed and she was gone, leaving a stunned Yahiko with a little red-haired disaster-in-the-making.

Kenji reached up, offering his toy horse. "Play?"

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When Kaoru reached that same turn, she didn't hesitate either, and headed directly into town at full speed; she was out of breath by the time she neared the Akabeko. Just in case, she stopped a block away, searching for one distinctive bright head among the others. Seeing none, Kaoru crept toward the entrance, and slipped inside.

"Welcome to the Akabeko!" a bright voice chirped. Kaoru spared the unfamiliar girl a distracted glance. _Must be new,_ she thought.

"Thanks," she muttered, searching. Kaoru found the woman in short order, sitting at a traditional table and sipping coffee from a Western cup. Kaoru brushed by the confused hostess, making straight for the table.

Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. The vibrant hope in the woman's eyes dimmed when she saw her, but she gestured to the opposite seat with graciousness. Kaoru sat down.

"Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes." Kaoru ordered herself a cup from Tsubame, internally groaning at the presence of a witness. The women were silent until the drink was delivered and Kaoru took an appreciative sip.

"It's good." The woman played with her cup.

"Yes."

"...Shinta isn't coming, is he?"

"No." Kaoru kept her voice soft in the face of the woman's disappointment. "And his name is Kenshin."

"Kenshin?" The woman – Manami – seemed surprised.

"But he was always such a gentle child..."

Kaoru shifted. "He's not a child anymore."

Manami looked down into her coffee. "No, he's not, is he? On the road yesterday he was fierce…"

Kaoru didn't have the time to be politely indirect. "What happened to him as a child?"

Manami flinched. "It was all a long time ago."

"I know. What happened? What _really_ happened? He was so little…"

Manami played with her cup. "What does he remember?" Kaoru frowned at the evasion. _I don't have_ time _for this! Kenshin will be home soon!_

"That everyone got sick. That no one helped him, and that his family died. That an uncle sold him to slavers." Kaoru knew that she was being unforgivably blunt, but she _had no time!_

Manami's eyes shone with moisture. "That's all truth," she whispered. Kaoru allowed her face to speak for her.

Manami swallowed. "I heard news of the sickness, but I'd married a man from the next village. I _wanted_ to go, all my birth kin were there, but my husband said no, I was not to travel until word came that the sickness was cleared." The woman seemed terribly sad. Kaoru, always a sucker for people in pain, felt tremendous sympathy. "When the last runner came, he came with a list of those dead. There were a lot of us with family over there, you know. My.. my little sister, her husband and son were all on that list. I was… well, I'm sure you can guess." Manami seemed to steel herself.

"A group of us were finally able to travel. When we all arrived – it was terrible." Manami took a shaking sip of coffee, obviously lost in memory. "No family there got away without at least one dead, and nearly everybody had been sick. My little sister… She was so much younger than me, born when I was thirteen, the youngest by so much... a beautiful baby with bright red hair. I used to practice like she was my own baby… She was buried in a shallow grave, with a rough marker, and-"

"Kenshin buried her."

Manami's coffee cup wobbled in her grasp. "What?"

"Kenshin buried his mother there, alone."

"Why?" Manami's cup impacted the table harshly.

Kaoru shrugged. "Because no one helped him." Manami shook her head.

"I had her re-buried, and bought a nice grave marker. I had no idea… how awful," she pushed her cup completely away. There was silence between them for a minute or two, the cheerful bustle of the restaurant a stark contrast to their little table. "I wanted them, you know. I had went there with every intention of bringing them home, and with my husband's blessing. Our marriage was barren, and my husband said he'd adopt."

"Then how…"

"I was too late," she offered a watery and ironic smile. "My brother had already… already _sold_ my nephew. I have _never_ forgave him, and never _will_. He had always had a shameful love of money… but to do that thing without need, without even attempting to find a place for the boy…"

Kaoru frowned, turning the situation over in her mind. "So… what do you want?"

Manami made a small noise of distress. "I want nothing from Shi- from Kenshin, not really. It was just… seeing my sister's hair and eyes yesterday, after so long; I couldn't just stay quiet." Kaoru softened.

"Perhaps… perhaps with time. Maybe if I speak with him…"

"I'd like that." She offered another small smile, just a shaky as the last. "You have a lovely son." She paused. "I don't even know your name…"

Kaoru flushed. "Kaoru," she said, but was unwilling to offer her family name, not yet.

The wry expression on Manami's face said that she had noted the omission. "Well, Kaoru-san, forgive an old woman, but I think I need a rest after a lunch like this one." Kaoru nodded. "Would you meet me again? I'd like to know how my nephew has faired all these years."

Kaoru managed to suppress a grimace at the thought of telling this kind, sad old woman anything of the sort. _Perhaps just the last four years… or maybe about Kenshin's adoption?_ "Not for lunch. Not here." Manami lowered her gaze. "...Maybe in the park near here." The light in the woman's eyes was more than enough of a reward. "Tomorrow," Kaoru said firmly. "Tomorrow at four o'clock. But now I really have to go."

She took her leave, and ran the entire way home. She never once realized that Manami had referred to her sister's living _children,_ not _child._

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Thanks as always to my wonderful beta reader, Animanical!


	4. Chapter 4

All due praise to my fabulous beta reader, Animanical!

Also: Chapter 5 will be quite a bit lighter as Kenshin is getting over the shock. :D

Happy Friday, folks.

* * *

 _She took her leave, and ran the entire way home. She never once realized that Manami had referred to her sister's living_ children _, not_ child _._

* * *

Yahiko cringed at the _thump_ and _splash_ that came from the kitchen.

"Kenji-chan!" Cursing under his breath, Yahiko made a dash for the kitchen, abandoning his attempt to repair the dried flower display that Kaoru loved so much.

"Busu's gonna kill me…" He stepped on the sharp edge of some toy but didn't stop, instead limping across the room with a feeling of dread. He pushed the door open.

"Ken… ji?" His voice ended in a squeak, which would have been embarrassing if he wasn't too busy being horrified. Kenji had apparently overturned the soy sauce, and was sitting in the middle of a puddle of the dark, staining stuff, holding his knee and crying quietly.

"Ow, ow, ow." Kenji raised big, blue, miserable eyes to his favorite honorary uncle, his pathetic demeanor complete with tears and trembling lips. "Hurt."

"Aw, Kenji-chan… What did you do, little guy?" Yahiko walked over to the boy, skirted around the spreading puddle and assessed the dripping child. He leaned down and started pulling off Kenji's clothes – it was probably best to just strip him and then wipe him down.

"Wanted treats." Kenji pointed toward the tea cakes at the back of the counter, which had been behind the soy sauce, purposefully out of reach for little hands. "Fell down."

"Yeah, buddy, I see that." One sad, clean, and naked little boy later,Yahiko looked at the state of the kitchen with despair. The black liquid seemed to be everywhere: on the floor, the counter, the counter legs, and somehow there were little spots on the wall, too.

"Cold," Kenji said. Yahiko sighed and figured that the mess could wait – cold toddlers, however, required immediate attention.

"C'mon, buddy, let's find you some clean clothes." He picked up the naked little boy and started toward the bedrooms. Which was how Kaoru found them.

"Ya. Hi. Ko. Explain." Yahiko assessed the situation: one teary, naked two year old, weirdly stained clothing held in one hand, standing next to the destroyed remains of Kaoru's flowers; yep, he was screwed. Time to go on the offensive.

"You're the one who left me here with this typhoon!"

"He's only one small child!" Kaoru marched forward and grabbed her son, then headed to the bedroom to dress him.

"He is a _child-shaped_ typhoon."

"What were you doing that you let him get into so much trouble?!"

"Nothing! What makes you think I was doing anything?" Yahiko said, trailing behind her.

"That's the problem; you weren't supposed to be doing _nothing_ , you were supposed to be watching my son!" The bickering continued and Yahiko watched with frustrated awe as Kaoru dressed a wriggly Kenji as though it wasn't a task of near-impossible proportions. She kissed his bruised knee and Kenji obediently and quietly followed his mother back to the main room. Once there, she rearranged her slightly crushed bouquet and kept Kenji out of trouble, all the while maintaining a heated tirade.

When their loud parade reached the kitchen, Kaoru stopped in the doorway, and began taking deep even breaths.

"Busu?"

"Shut up, Yahiko, I'm counting."

That seemed like an excellent time to take himself elsewhere.

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.

Kenshin retrieved his haori but didn't bother putting it on, as he was still sticky with cooling sweat. He glanced at the grove. _It's a good thing that bamboo grows back so quickly…_ His muscles were warm and loose and the kata and _ki_ manipulation had calmed his mind. He walked home feeling better than he had at any point in the last two days.

He was greeted by a happy child and a mildly annoyed wife, who appeared to be scrubbing _something_ from under the counter. On her hands and knees. Kenshin's hands twitched.

"Kaoru-dono?" She thumped her head on the underside of the counter, and said a word that she probably learned from Sano.

"Ow!" She crawled into the open, rubbing at the sore spot. "Welcome home."

Kenshin felt a smile crinkle his eyes. "I'm home." He knelt next to her and began helping her clean up the mess.

That night, Kenji and Kaoru lay in their usual places in his bed, and Kenshin slid under the covers with a feeling of _rightness_. He curled around his wife and pressed his face into her hair, counting her breaths until he fell asleep, as the last remnants of the knot in his stomach finally dissolved.

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The next morning, Kenshin savored the normal routine, the cleaning and cooking, caring for his son, pampering his wife between her classes. The advanced class, still consisting only of Yahiko and Yutaro, had finished almost an hour ago, so Kenshin was washing the rice for supper.

Kaoru breezed in, fresh from the bath and dressed in one of her nicer kimono. "Kenshin, I'm going to run an errand. I'll be home in an hour or so."

"Oro?" They had gone to the market the day before yesterday, what-

"I'll only be an hour! Geez, Kenshin," she said indignantly… and out she went.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes; she was a terrible actress. _What are you up to?_ He dried his hands and went to fetch his jacket and son.

He followed at a careful distance, watching with increasing unease as his wife actually kept a _lookout_. She would not do so if she didn't believe that what she was doing was wrong, and his stomach sank at the thought. Kaoru, with Kenshin close behind, skirted the main roads and circled around to the park near the Akabeko. _What is she doing_ here _?_ Kenshin felt his insides freeze into ice as he spied who it was that she was meeting. He took Kenji to the Akabeko, leaving him with a surprised and delighted Tae, and walked back to collect his wife.

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"Kaoru-san! Thanks for meeting me." Manami's smile was wide. Kaoru sat next to her and plucked nervously at her sleeves.

"Yes." Kaoru tried hard to be pleasant. "How long will you be in Tokyo?"

"Oh, I don't know. At least another six weeks. A friend from my girlhood had a son that settled here and took a bride. My friend did pass away, and the bride's mother, too. I'm here to help his wife birth her first born." Manami beamed. "I was happy to get the request. To think that the boy remembered this old woman! Country know-how and female companionship will be helpful for a new mother, surely."

Kaoru smiled at old woman's transparent pleasure, though she was a little confused. "I'm sure it will be; it's a long trip, though."

"Ah, yes." Manami's face darkened. "It's nice to get away from the village, though I wish the other women had a place to go, too."

"...What?"

Manami's mouth pressed into a hard line. "All the villages around mine have been bothered by bandits, a big group of thugs. They've been raiding for food and supplies and the like. Several of our young women have been _attacked_ while out working. It's been frightful. Our village is trying, but we're farmers, not warriors. My kin and my friends are all still there. I worry."

"I… have you appealed for protection from the local government?"

"Oh, you precious child! As though they would stir themselves for the lives of some country folk."

"I- but- that's their _job!_ " Manami looked at Kaoru with a combination of amusement and pity.

"Kaoru-san, the world would be a much better place if people honored their obligations."

"But- that's not _right_!" Kaoru felt herself growing outraged.

"Kaoru-san, this isn't why I wanted to meet. Please, tell me a little a bit of my nephew? You _seem_ well-cared for; are you all doing good?"

Kaoru refocused on the woman's gentle face, her soothing smile. "I- yes, of course. I met Kenshin five years ago, and we've been married for three. We are-"

"Kaoru-dono." Kaoru's head snapped around to the owner of that low-pitched voice and she let out a little _eep_ of panic at being caught. Kenshin looked _livid,_ his eyes a cold blue and his fingers curled into angry fists at his sides. "It is time to go home." He extended a hand in a clear command. Kaoru's first reaction was to tell him what he could do with his commands, but she stopped herself in time. From his perspective, it was she who was in the wrong, and this was not the time nor place for an argument.

She turned to Manami. "I'll see you here tomorrow." She ignored her husband as he audibly ground his teeth. Kaoru rose and took his offered hand.

He led her out of the park at a rapid pace, but not quickly enough to make her stumble in her kimono. At any other time, she might admire his awareness, but not today. She waited until they turned down the rather private road towards the dojo, then pulled on their joined hands. When Kenshin was playing the rurouni, it would have nearly pulled him off his feet. Right now, he didn't budge, although he did stop walking.

"Kenshin. You are being ridiculous."

" _I_ am not the one who met a person behind your back!"

"That nice old woman wasn't-"

"How could you _meet her_ when you knew-"

"-Even _there_ at the time!"

"-How I felt about it?!"

They stood there in the street, staring each other down. Kaoru wasn't used to Kenshin being overtly stubborn. Subtly stubborn, yes, but arguing in the street was as unexpected as Sano riding home naked on a dragon.

Kaoru took a slow, steadying breath, and played her newly learned ace. "She wanted to adopt you." He blinked at her, his aggressively blue eyes beginning to shade to violet.

"...What?"

"She lived one village over, and came to get you when she could. They were going to adopt you."

"I-" Kenshin's eyes were almost completely violet, his shoulders loosing tension. "It's… it's most likely a lie, Kaoru-dono. This one does not remember an Aunt Manami. She likely wants something."

"What? What does she want? She hasn't asked for anything! I went there to find out more about her and hear what she had to say." Kenshin looked down and to the side, hiding himself behind his too-short hair. Kaoru stepped close and laid a hand on his shoulder; he did not pull away.

"Kenshin… I only want the best for you, you know that. If she is really who she says she is, if it's true… Wouldn't that be nice?" She tried to catch his gaze, leaning over to look under his bangs. "Even if she's not, even if she wants something from us, shouldn't we listen?" Kenshin stiffened again, but Kaoru cut him off. "It wouldn't be the first time someone has thought to use us, someone that needed and deserved our help. And I'm pretty sure that Kado-san isn't manufacturing drugs." Kenshin huffed weakly at the reminder. "At least _she_ won't flirt with you."

"Kaoru-dono…"

"Let's go home. It's time for supper, and we have things to talk about." This time when he reached for her hand it was for entirely different reasons.

They had walked a few paces, hand in hand, when Kaoru suddenly halted. "Kenshin… where is our son?"

"Oro!"

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That night, after a certain little boy was given two cups of water, one story, one song, and twenty minutes of nursing, Kenshin sat quietly in the main room, once again waiting for his wife. Kaoru padded in barefoot, a slightly frazzled look in her eyes, her hair frizzing free of her braid. Kenshin smiled up at her, and offered her a teacup.

"Oh, thank you!" Kaoru collapsed onto a cushion, the one nearest her husband, nearly touching his shoulders, and Kenshin allowed himself to relax a bit. "What's gotten into him today?"

"Mm, most likely the tension between us, this one believes."

Kaoru's face became guilty. "I really wasn't trying to _betray_ you, Kenshin."

"Aa, this one knows, Kaoru." He pulled her to his side, and Kaoru sagged into him, accepting forgiveness. "This one was just… blinded with old anger, that I was." They sat in silence for a time while Kenshin breathed in the soap-and-flowers scent of his wife.

"Kenshin, Kado-san mentioned something this afternoon." She shifted against his shoulder, straining to see his expression without moving away from his embrace. "There is a group of bandits harassing the villages over there, and they sound really despicable." Kenshin pulled back far enough to see her face, and raised his eyebrows. "I was just thinking… if their local government won't help them, then-"

" _Kaoru..._ " Her name was nearly a groan.

"Well, _someone_ should help them!"

"Kaoru, beloved, _this one does not even know where that is._ "

Kaoru stopped and blinked. "You don't remember where you were born?"

"This one was only six! It is probably somewhere near Kyoto…"

"How can you not remember?"

The look Kenshin gave her was droll.

"Oh, right. Six. Well, we could just ask Kado-san."

"And what then? Travel to Kyoto to rout some bandits?"

"Yes!"

"Oro…" But Kaoru's laughter was bright, and her lips were soft. Kenshin allowed himself to to be lost in her and forget the outside world for a while.

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Tucked in bed, Kenshin lay quietly and watched his family sleep. Kaoru's arm was firm with muscle, and her silky skin was pleasant under his palm. He absently stroked that soft skin up and down, elbow to shoulder, and thought.

His memories of the time before the slavers, before Hiko were few. Most were of the illness that had taken his family – he'd never had the desire to think closely about what had happened, because the emotions contained therein were all sharp-edged and painful, full of grief and fear. His memories before the illness were even fewer, fuzzy and segmented, and while those were happy, it was hard to think on them without remembering what had happened _next_. But he _had_ been happy as a child, he did believe that. His mother had been a smiling woman whose face he could not recall, but her hands had been elegantly shaped, hard with callouses but gentle when she had touched him, and her hair had been as red as his own. His father had been tall and dark. That was all he could remember of the man, but Kenshin did have one memory of being happy to see him, so it was likely that his father had been kind. His brother was mostly absent from his memories, just the vague knowledge that he had had one **.** His sister he remembered as a girl only slightly larger than himself, with red hair and brown eyes, and in his memories she was always missing some of her front teeth.

It was possible that his uncle had simply been an evil man, acting without the blessing of his family, without the blessing of the town elders. It was also possible that the man had sold Kenshin in the face of financial ruin brought about by so many deaths; he might have thought it better to sell a single child than to let an entire village starve. Kenshin knew that his unusual features and youthful looks would have fetched a high price, and life in the pleasure quarters was not considered shameful, despite his own horror at the idea of slavery.

Despite himself, he felt curiosity burning in his gut. What if he _did_ have living family? Perhaps he had aunts and uncles and cousins with his same bright hair and odd eyes tucked away in some tiny village. He had never in his life had any desire to seek out his birth family or his childhood village, but he had never before considered that… that maybe some of them had _wanted_ him. Maybe somewhere in the world there were people who remembered Shinta and missed him. Perhaps this strange woman appearing in his life, after all this time, was a sign that he was _meant_ to finally return to the village of his birth. And if the people there were truly being victimized, had unsuccessfully appealed for help…Then again, the entire thing could be part of a bizarre trap.

Either way, it seemed that he was going to Kyoto.

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* * *

On breastfeeding a toddler:

"In Japan, Exclusive Breastfeeding was the only practical feeding method to feed infants until the end of the first half of the 20th century. A child usually continued breastfeeding until two to three years of age, and breastfeeding up to six years of age was common [7]. Infant formula was first introduced to Japan in 1917, but it was not until the 1950s that its use increased rapidly [9]. "

Internationalbreastfeedingjournal . biomedcentral articles /10.1186/ 1746-4358-7-15


	5. Chapter 5

All due praise to my beta reader, Animanical, who helps me become a better author, and listens to my terribly insecure ramblings.

 **Warning:** there is smut in this chapter, separated from the main with a line break if you wish to scroll and skip.

I think that people may be surprised that Kenshin's temper has been close to the surface thus far in this story, but keep in mind, issues like this are deeply triggering for people that were 'abandoned' by their families. Also, in a committed and loving relationship, having a fight or two is sometimes important; honesty with what you're feeling is much, much healthier than repression or passive-aggression.

All that being said… _this_ chapter is lighter than the previous. Enjoy!

* * *

Kenshin awoke to pre-dawn gloom, careful to keep still against the warm body of his wife. He reluctantly eyed the world outside of his bed. With an internal groan, he slipped out of the covers and into his clothes as quickly as possible, quietly cursing as he hopped across cold floorboards. He was ever grateful that his wife was not an early riser; even his meager dignity would be hurt if she were to witness how disgruntled he was at this hour. He started the kitchen fire and left the water to boil while he made a very quick, habitual round of the house and grounds, checking locks and fences. He slipped back into house followed by a gust of cold air, and headed directly to the kitchen.

The tea steeped as Kenshin sat and blinked owlishly at the little clock. When it was finally done, he poured himself a cup, humming with pleased relief, and curled chilled hands around warm porcelain. Little curls of steam caressed his face, as he drank it just slowly enough not to scald his tongue.

Morning requirements met, he went to the dojo and slowly worked through a basic kata, warming stiff muscles and clearing sleep from his foggy mind. He gradually increased the strength and speed of his practice, taking mental notes on which movements were now beyond him. For the most part, only those actions requiring _extreme_ speed were ineffective. It had never failed to amuse him that the quick-draw techniques had been the first to go; Battousai was truly dead, and only Kenshin remained. Practice finished, Kenshin began working through something quite different: a new disarming technique for Kamiya Kasshin Ryu, one that should work in the kata he'd watched Kaoru practicing last week…

Feeling much better, Kenshin walked back to the kitchen and started making breakfast, humming to himself as he worked.

"Morning."

Kenshin smiled over at the frowning form of his wife and the chipper readhead at her side. "Good morning, Kaoru-dono, Kenji-chan. This one is almost finished with breakfast, that I am."

"Kenji help!"

"Aa, Kenji-chan, would you fetch the chopsticks for me?" He directed his little boy in harmless tasks as he arranged their food on a tray, smiling at Kaoru as she sat and casually poured herself tea, leaning against the table as she watched him work.

His wife was so adorably grumpy in the morning. She hadn't been, before their marriage, and Kenshin had been surprised at the change. He'd laughed when she'd revealed that she'd been "faking" her morning cheer for the year and a half before their marriage. ' _Why do you think I always got up so late?! I was sitting in my room trying to uncross my eyes.'_

"Kenshin, do you need help?"

"No, Kaoru-dono, this one has just finished. Kenji-chan, please go and sit by your mother. This one will bring the tray." Once they were all seated before the finished meal, and the blessing was said, Kenshin watched with pleasure as Kaoru shepherded their son through the meal.

When Kaoru had her belly at least half full of tea and rice, and her eyes cleared of sleep, she asked. "So, are we going?"

Kenshin blinked. "Oro?"

"To Kyoto. Are we going to go?"

"Um… Kaoru-dono, this one had decided to go, yes…"

Kaoru's eyes narrowed, shrewd and suspicious. "So _we_ are going."

"Ah… _this one_ is going, but- Oro!" The rice scoop suddenly hit Kenshin, directly in the center of the forehead. _Well, her aim is still good..._

"Kamiya Kenshin, if you think _for one minute_ that you are going to _leave_ me here while you go off to the ends of the earth-"

"Maa, maa, it's only outside of Kyoto, this one believes," he soothed, but Kaoru responded by winging a teacup at him. It was a nice teacup! Kenshin caught it before it shattered against the wall.

"I have obviously hit you in the head once too often!" She was doing an impressive job of looming while seated, and her right hand was groping for more ammunition. Kenji, his cheeks stuffed with breakfast like a squirrel, was watching the exchange with delight, as though it was an odd game and not a sparring match with tableware.

"Maa, Kaoru-dono, this one is only thinking of your safety-" That was the wrong thing to say; if looks could kill, Kenshin's hair would caught on fire. Without looking away, Kaoru picked up her pair of chopsticks. Kenshin eyed them warily; they could be sharp if thrown correctly.

"Kenshin." Kaoru was glaring at him and speaking through bared, clenched teeth. "You will _not_ leave me here sitting on my thumbs while you are off facing Gods know what."

"Kaoru-dono, there is an organized group of bandits!" He snatched the lid off the rice tub, holding it as an impromptu shield while he deflected some very well-aimed eating utensils. "But who would care for Kenji-chan if we were both gone?"

Kaoru gasped. "Don't you use our son against me!" Kenshin deflected a dish, a cushion, and a small bowl in very short order. "He can stay at the Aoiya and you know it!"

Kenshin directed huge, innocent eyes at her. "But Kenji-chan still needs his mother at night-"

Kaoru found another pair of chopsticks, and held them like a dagger. "He will have three aunts, a stone-faced uncle, and a drunken grandfather to keep him company. He'll be _fine."_

For a long moment, they stayed still, facing each other down across the battle zone that had been the breakfast table.

Finally, Kaoru snarled, "Kenshin, it could be some type of pathetic _trap_ , you idiot!"

"Oro!" She'd thought that might be the case as well, had she?

"You cannot go there without backup. I refuse."

"But, Kaoru-dono-"

"No!" She pressed both palms flat against the table. "If you dare say something about how you can't put me in danger, when all you're facing are some stupid thugs, I will beat you into an 'oro-ing' red smear! I am more than a match for any bandit and you know it!"

Kenshin felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth. He could have married any number of meek women, but he had married Kamiya Kaoru instead. Honestly, what had he expected?

"Yes, Kaoru-dono."

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Kenshin shifted his weight, trying not to make obvious how acutely uncomfortable he was with the situation. Kaoru was at home packing, and he was waiting in the park. For an aunt that he did not remember.

"Kenshin-kun?" He turned to face the woman. She had an earnest face, and her energy was as calm and non-threatening as it had been since their first meeting. Abruptly, she bowed deeply. "I'm sorry for causing strife between you and your wife. I never meant to."

"There's no need, that there isn't. Please get up." Once she'd straightened, he gestured to the bench, and she sat with the relief of someone bothered by their joints. Kenshin remained standing.

Manami smoothed the cloth over her knees. "Have you had a change of heart, then?" Her face was so… hopeful, that it made Kenshin feel guilty. He studied her closely; though her face was lined, it was obvious that she had once been sharp-chinned; her hair was grey, her eyes were a faded bluish color, and even without the slight curve in her spine she would have been quite petite. It was _possible_ that there was a familial connection, but still, this could all be a lie or a trap; Kenshin was unwilling to admit any type of connection until he was certain that it was not.

"Kaoru-dono mentioned that there is a problem with bandits in your home village."

Manami's mouth dropped open and then closed, transparently surprised.

"...That's truth…But why-"

"And have you appealed to your local government for aid?"

"Yes, a couple of times."

Kenshin looked quietly away from the woman, instead looking at the budding trees for a few moments.

"Where is it? The village?"

"In the mountains north of Otsu." Kenshin suppressed a grimace.

"What is the name?"

"My village is Shiraiyama and the your- ah, the neighboring is Akaida. They're both small. Maybe forty houses a piece."

"Is there still snow on the ground?"

"No, probably not. The fields will still be frosting, maybe a bit of snow on the high fields, but there wouldn't be snow in the villages. The paths are always clear by this time." Kenshin looked at the confused woman carefully and still found no signs of deception. He nodded.

"This one will go visit, and see what there is to be seen." He took his leave with a stiff bow, and left the woman sitting alone in the park.

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Yahiko looked up across the table with awe and excitement lighting his brown eyes, his cheeks so full of food that Kenshin was amazed he'd managed to stuff it all in. _This must be where Kenji's getting_ that _particular habit._ The boy swallowed, three times, and then managed to speak.

"Wow! That's awesome! Yeah, I'll teach classes! Which classes? When? What's going on?" His head whipped around to glare at Kaoru. "Busu, did you get knocked up again?" Kenshin blinked; that marked the second time in a single day that Kaoru had hurled that particular rice scoop.

"Maa, maa, Yahiko," Kenshin waved his hands, attempting to stop the battle before it devolved into war. "Kaoru-dono and myself are going on a brief trip, that we are."

"Where?" Yahiko asked, rubbing the bump on his head and glancing back and forth between them. Kaoru looked to her husband; it was his story, after all.

"To Kyoto," which was not a total lie. "We should return within a month."

"But- it's too early in the year for that!" Yahiko was frowning; they usually didn't make the trip to Kyoto for at least another month or so _._ "What are you guys really up to?"

Kenshin merely smiled and put a bite of rice in his mouth. One could not lie with a mouth full of rice.

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Late that night, Kaoru rolled over in his arms to face him. "Why are you still not sleeping?"

Kenshin shook his head, rubbing a hand down her waist and over her hip. "This one would feel much better if you stayed at the Aoiya, that I would."

Kaoru's expression shifted from tender to mutinous. "And why is that?"

"Because if you were hurt, this one would be lost." He said it bluntly, because after Rakunimura they both knew it to be true. He would never act like that again, he had a son who would need his father, but still… the grief would be devastating. He stroked a thumb across her cheek.

Kaoru sighed. "And how would I feel, if you were hurt or killed in a fight, while I was sitting around the Aoiya?" She shifted upward onto an elbow and leaned over until her face filled his vision. "Kenshin… We'll protect each other."

* * *

She pressed a soft kiss to his lips. He sighed into her and curled an arm around sweet curves and firm muscle.

Kaoru threaded a hand into his hair and smiled against his lips. "Want to move this to the next room?" Before he could answer, she bit down lightly on his lower lip then drew it into her mouth and sucked. He brought his palm around and down, filling his questing hand with firm, rounded flesh.

"Yes," his answer was almost a groan. "Yes, very much." Kaoru rolled over him and out of bed with a muffled giggle, scrambling to her feet and dashing around the edge of the bed to tuck the covers firmly around Kenji, not wanting him to get cold, alone in the big bed. Kenshin smiled widely at his wife; her playful, vibrant nature never failed to make him feel light and just a bit giddy. He chased her into the next room, her giggles gaining in volume as he pretended that he couldn't catch her. Once inside, she caught him by the collar of his robe and leaned up to kiss him, resting her weight against his chest.

With one hand in her hair and one again full of beautiful backside, Kenshin focused his efforts on exploring the inside of her mouth. He swiped his tongue across the tender inside of her lip and retreated, then went just against the sharp edge of her teeth and pulled back again, coaxing her to dance – her warm hands slid up his chest, his shoulders, and his neck, ending up tangled in his hair. A gentle slide against her tongue, and this time she followed. Kenshin gave a heartfelt groan of approval and deepened the kiss into a slow, gliding caress. Then Kaoru twisted against him, and fire shot down his spine. His hands started moving, adding another layer to the pleasurable haze, calloused fingers diving under her mussed robe, worshiping the skin beneath. She was so soft over firm muscle; the dimples bookending her spine were particularly interesting, the curve of her spine and waist marvelously feminine.

"Mmm… Kaoru, we… should spread out the… futon." What they were doing made it difficult to speak, but he was making a valiant effort.

"Yeah," she breathed out, but didn't seem to be interested in stopping. Kenshin began unwinding himself from his wife, backing away to get the bed ready. Kaoru hummed a noise that sounded like a laugh and moved with him, matching him step for step, and Kenshin couldn't bring himself to push her away.

"Kaoru, beloved... The floor is cold-" But Kaoru had managed to get both of their robes unfastened, and as she stepped back into him, the slide of skin on skin banished all rational thought. Kaoru made a wonderfully impatient noise and pressed impossibly closer, grinding his cock against the silky skin of her belly. Kenshin backed up, pulling her with him until his legs hit the edge of the low, wide chest against the wall. So he sat down, guiding Kaoru down with him and onto his lap. He placed soft, nibbling kisses down her neck and shoulder, kneading her thighs, and when he looked up her eyes were heavy lidded and lazy with pleasure.

This time Kaoru pulled _him_ into a kiss, and Kenshin smiled into her mouth. He enjoyed how much his fierce, bold wife loved being in control. Her lips moved across his jaw, just barely brushing. She began rocking against his lap, teasing him, nibbling his ear. Kenshin moaned for her; he loved her teeth. She worked her way down his neck and Kenshin laughed to himself. _It's a good thing this one can still wear a scarf outdoors this time of year…_

Kaoru raised herself up and firmly gripped his cock. He sucked in a breath and thrust reflexively into her hand, earning a smug smile from her. Watching his eyes, she lowered herself onto him with aching slowness, her face full of a sort of sinful satisfaction. Kenshin huffed but kept still. She moved over him in a slow, steady rhythm, supple thighs flexing as she reached behind her and unplaited her lovely, inky hair, riding him all the while. She leaned over him to let her hair fall free over his face and shoulders, tickling his chest, because she knew he loved it. He tilted his head back and enjoyed the sensation, offering her a silly smile, one that wasn't an act, and was just because he was happy and a little drunk with her.

Kenshin filled his hands with wonderfully rounded hips and helped her along, moving at her pace. She felt incredibly good around him: her hair, her hands braced on his shoulders, her thighs cradling his hips, her tight wet heat swallowing his cock. Kenshin begin to pant, straining to suppress the urge to take control, stifling the instinct to move faster and push harder.

Instead, he distracted himself with the sight of his wife, and she was glorious. She braced one hand on his knee and arched her back with a moan. _Gods, she's so beautiful…_ Her neck was long and graceful, her fine collarbones elegant, and her breasts were fully on display. Kenshin licked his lips as her breasts bounced along with her, and he leaned forward, licking her gently. She was still nursing Kenji at night, so he reluctantly trailed away from her tempting but unavailable nipples and placed sucking kisses on the soft flesh of her breasts, trying to satisfy his frustrated urges.

Kaoru slowed her pace even further and changed her rhythm, moving her hips in little grinding circles, pulling a half-whimper, half-moan from him. She grinned at his desperate expression, delighting in being _evil._

"Patience..." She was almost laughing, and Kenshin gave her an aggrieved pout.

"You are being a tease."

Then Kaoru did laugh, low and throaty and unbelievably sexy. Kenshin's belly clenched at the sound.

She leaned close, not quite kissing him, her lips moving over his when she spoke. "Only because you like it." What thoughts he still had scattered like leaves in the wind. He _needed_ to move faster, needed to press her down over his cock in time with the cadence thrumming in his blood. He went on the offensive.

Never changing the pace of their hips, he reached for her center, sliding his thumb into place and rubbing tight little circles, determined to bring her up until she was panting and needy, too. He watched her in acute anticipation **,** watched her shudder, felt her nails dig into his shoulders. He moved his thumb just a little bit faster, giving her what he knew she needed to bring her over the edge as quickly as possible.

"You're cheating," she moaned.

"You like it." And at that, _finally!_ She arched against him, stiff and spasming. Kenshin gasped in relief, slowing his motions and pulsing his hips lightly against her, helping her reach the last little aftershocks of her pleasure. Kaoru was panting in the aftermath, and leaned forward, bracing a hand on the wall behind him.

"Alright," she said, and Kenshin was practically quivering in anticipation. "Your turn."

 _Thank the Gods…_ He pressed an urgent kiss to her lips and tightened his grip on her hips. At last she had yielded, and Kenshin wasted no time, thrusting upward while he bounced Kaoru's perfect wet heat over his cock, pulling her while he pushed. Kaoru held onto his shoulder, one hand still braced against the wall, dropping little kisses on his face and neck, enjoying the sight of her husband lost in his own pleasure.

Kenshin was angled stiffly underneath her, his muscles bunched with tension, his movements wild. He was breathing harshly, reaching and _so close… Ah, so close._ Kaoru's kisses on his face were like little raindrops, and then she wound fingers in his hair, stroking and kissing and _perfect_ , it was all perfect…

Then Kaoru pulled his hair sharply, and Kenshin made a choked noise. He pulled her up and off of his cock instantly, his world whiting out on the edges as he released, nerves singing and heart pounding. Kaoru nuzzled against him, stroking soothing hands over his neck and chest as he slowly relaxed. She smiled for him, kissed him lovingly, and carefully climbed off of him to search for a towel.

* * *

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The next morning, Kenshin purchased tickets and sent a telegraph ahead to Okina: _Kamiya family arriving March 28th. Will take 1st train._

* * *

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Why would Kenshin practice that particular form of birth control? 'Cause they didn't have a lot of options in that era and Kenji's only two, that's why. It's something that a considerate husband would do.


	6. Chapter 6

Have you ever taken a long trip with a small child? Heaven spare us all… Also, I think that Kaoru deserved a better shake than she got in the Manga.

* * *

 _The next morning, Kenshin purchased tickets and sent a telegraph ahead to Okina:_ _Kamiya family coming. Arrival March 28th. Will take 1st train._

* * *

Kenshin stared the enormous trunk that Kaoru had packed. It looked heavy. He mentally calculated the distance he would have to carry it and his posture slumped. When he'd been a rurouni, he'd traveled with perhaps a tenth as many things.

Kaoru called out from a bedroom, "Kenshin? Have you seen Kenji's blue yukata?"

"This one believes that you have already packed it, Kaoru-dono, that I do."

She poked her head out of the room. "What about his top? Did we remember to pack his top?"

Kenshin's lips twitched. "Yes, Kaoru-dono, Kenji's top is in the trunk."

"Oh. Okay." She took a deep breath. "We're ready to go, then," she said, but then she darted off into another bedroom. Kenshin picked up the trunk and sighed at its awkward weight. He caught Kenji's sticky little fingers in his free hand.

"Kaoru-dono?" he called.

Her voice was muffled. "Coming! I'm just-" _thump, grunt,_ "Getting some things-" a lid closed, "To keep us warm and busy." She reemerged with another armload of clothes and toys, with two books balanced on top of the pile. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, Kaoru-dono."

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

"Look! Look! Pretty!" A very overstimulated Kenji pressed his face to the train window, watching as the city flew by. "Wow." He scrambled across the seat and threw himself into his father's lap. "Pretty, Daddy, pretty." He pointed to the window, and Kenshin gave him a small, indulgent smile.

"Yes, Kenji-chan, it's very pretty, that it is." Then the little boy planted a small foot against Kenshin's groin, startling a _whoosh_ of air from his father, before levering all of his body weight to launch himself back to the window.

"Ororo…" Kenshin fell sideways onto the seat and groaned piteously. Kenji ignored him, and Kaoru, disloyal wife, giggled behind her hand. Kenshin gave her a look as near to baleful as he could manage in his current position.

"Kenji-chan, come sit with Mama for a while. I think Daddy needs to rest."Kenji obediently moved to Kaoru's bench, opposite his father, before pressing his face against the window again.

It took a good twenty minutes for Kenji to become bored with watching the scenery, which was a blessedly long time for such a small child. For the rest of the train trip, Kenshin played an endless series of games involving Kenji's toy horse, Kaoru read him parts of no less than five stories, and Kenji ate every bite of his breakfast, then begged for snacks.

Kenshin felt frustrated; he wanted to be _doing_ something. It was faster this way, though, and was the only way to get to Kyoto with a child Kenji's age. They'd been planning this trip since last spring, after Kenshin had taken the last trip alone to visit Tomoe's grave. This year, they had decided that Kenji would be old enough to endure the trip without harm, and so they planned to make the annual visit to the Aoiya as a family. They'd been saving money for the trains and the boat, and at that time it had seemed like it might be pleasant experience. Confronted now with the reality of an extended amount of time trapped in an enclosed room with a bored and fretful child, on the way to confront the unknown... Kenshin ruefully acknowledged that he would have rather have walked to Kyoto backwards and barefoot. He sincerely hoped that Kenji would not get seasick.

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Kenshin kept a careful eye on Kaoru as she disembarked the ship, a squirming Kenji cradled in her arms. If Kaoru should stumble on that uneven ramp, Kenshin was fully prepared to heave the trunk towards the dock and hope the for the best while he steadied his wife. At the bottom of the ramp, a member of the ship's crew noticed the small woman with a sleepy child, and offered a respectful hand to her elbow. Kenshin gave the man a nod and a grateful smile as he passed.

"It's pretty late," Kaoru said. The ship had not made good time, and they were a full two hours behind their estimated arrival. "Where do you think we should stay?"

"There will likely be several inns near the train station, this one believes."

Kaoru smiled for him despite the dark circles under her eyes, the crabby toddler whining into her collar, and the remnants of her mild sea-sick nausea. "Then let's go!" She turned and walked away, leaving Kenshin to adjust the wretched trunk and follow. It was cheaper not to hire a carriage or hand cart, but by the time they found a likely looking place to stop for the night, Kenshin had decided that next time he would cheerfully fritter away that fee. Or maybe simply burn the monstrosity that was masquerading as luggage.

Kenji was too tired to resist a quick and sketchy scrubbing, for which Kenshin was quite grateful. Mostly clean and dressed for bed, the entire family collapsed as one onto a not-too-musty futon and knew no more.

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Kenshin started awake to weak sunshine. He wearily scrubbed a hand over his eyes – rarely had he felt so tired after doing _nothing_. Once again he decided that he did not care for traveling by ship. He rolled onto his back and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.

 _Tea,_ he decided. _Tea will make the world seem better._ He got to his feet, tucking the covers around a still-sleeping Kaoru, and blearily dressed himself.

The tea was cheap but strong, and Kenshin returned with a tray containing more of it, along with rice and pickles. He smiled down at them, still abed, one dark head and one bright. He reached out and gently shook Kaoru's shoulder. She cracked open an eye and gave him a half-hearted glare.

He smiled. "Tea?" She sat up and thrust out a hand, saying nothing, and Kenshin sat down cross-legged and helped himself to breakfast.

Able to form words at last, her morning surliness gone, Kaoru asked, "How long until the morning train to Kyoto leaves?"

"This one is uncertain; perhaps this one could go check while you and Kenji-chan eat?"

"...Why didn't you just go do that already?"

"This one did not wish for you to wake and find me already gone." Kenshin put down his empty bowl and leaned over to press a kiss to her mouth. "This one will be back shortly, that I will." His last sight before closing the shoji was Kaoru's charmingly shy smile.

The train was leaving in less than an hour, so he rushed back to the hotel. He and Kaoru together managed to get Kenji into his clothes and through his meal, arriving at the station with time to spare. Then it was another train ride, but this time Kenji was too tired and fussy to be interested in the scenery, instead switching from lap and lap and generally being quietly _sad_ about his confinement. Kenshin stroked the boy's back comfortingly.

"Not long now, Kenji-chan. Look! You can already see some buildings over there, that you can. Your Aunt Misao will be waiting for us, and won't that be nice?" Kenji whined and cuddled against Kenshin's chest. After dragging their things and their child onto one more platform, Kenshin heard Kaoru sigh in relief. Kenshin led them to a likely looking bench where he helped seat his wife and child, all the while keeping a lookout for a certain perky young woman.

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Seated comfortably on a nice, fat cushion, Kenshin almost sucked tea into his lungs, an uncomfortably hot blush crawling down his neck as he wheezed. Kaoru quickly put her hands over Kenji's ears, glaring. "Okina-san! You can't tell a joke like that; there's a child here!"

Okon placed a tray of sweets in the center of their little circle."Okina, eat some one of these, they're fresh!" She leaned towards Kaoru, placed a hand in front of her mouth, and stage whispered, "He can't be vile if he's chewing!" Kaoru lowered her hands but kept glaring.

"Don't look like that, Kaoru-san! Have a drink!" Okina waved a bottle of sake and smiled widely. Kaoru jsut sighed and sipped at her tea, radiating disapproval. Kenshin lowered his head to hide his smile behind his bangs and snagged several tea cakes. _He can't really expect us to start drinking this early!_ But the cakes were delicious and the tea was good; Kenshin could feel his mood improving immensely.

"Okina-dono, thank you for your hospitality-" Kenshin began, but Okina threw an arm across Kenshin's neck, pulling the startled man into an acutely uncomfortable one-armed hug. "Oro!"

"Of course! Only the finest for friends and allies!"

"Too… tight…" Kenshin wheezed, attempting to untangle himself from the older man.

"Jiya! You're choking him!" Misao punched Okina in the shoulder, and the old man released his hold. Kenshin sat up, cleared his throat, and tried again.

"Okina-dono, thank you for your hospitality, but as you may have guessed our visit is early this year for a specific reason." Okina's eyes sharpened, his mood instantly shifting from frivolous to serious. Aoshi set down his teacup. "It has come to our attention that there are a few villages north of Otsu being plagued by an organized group of bandits. Have you heard of such a thing?"

"North of Otsu…? That's a bit outside of my normal network, Kamiya."

Kenshin nodded. "Yes, this one thought as much. It was only a question, so it was."

Misao leaned forward. "Why? Are you going up there?" Her eyes lit up. "Do you need backup? It's been so boring here lately."

"Yes! We could use some action!" Okina was practically crowing.

"I've been looking for a reason to put on my training gear again!"

"Misao, you'll need provisions!" They were practically manic with enthusiasm.

"Oro!"

Okon and Omasu were giggling behind their hands.

" _I'm_ his backup!" Kaoru's voice barely cut through the noise.

Misao and Okina froze, while Okon squealed, "Does that mean we get to watch Kenji-chan?"

"Kaoru, you can't go up there with only a wooden sword!" Misao interjected, frowning. "Look what happened against Kamatari!"

Kenshin smiled gently. "Yes, Okon-dono, we hoped that we might impose on you, that we did."

"Wonderful! He's so cute! We'll have so much fun!"

"Well, it's not very likely they'll have a fighter as skilled as Kamatari, is it?" Kaoru said testily.

Okina was serious. "Kaoru-san, it would be quite dangerous to use a bokken against opponents with steel and the intent to kill."

Misao's mouth firmed. "Well, we'll just need to get you outfitted properly! It's a challenge!" She pumped her fist.

"Hey! What do you mean "a challenge?" What are you implying!?"

"Oro…"

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.

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"Here, Kaoru, try this one! It was Omasu's when she was younger, so it should fit you." Misao tossed a vest at Kaoru. Kaoru caught it and blinked at it in surprise. It was a plain black vest with open sides and ties, but it was _heavy._

"What is this? Kusari?" Kaoru rubbed it between a finger and thumb, feeling the little circles of linked steel.

"Yeah," Misao buried her upper body back into a trunk. "It's nice because it's sewn between the fabric layers; it's quieter and and doesn't reflect light." She sat back on her heels. "Try these arm guards, too." She handed them over. "Let me know it they're too heavy."

Kaoru frowned a bit but began strapping on the armor.

"Well?! How's it feel?"

Kaoru stretched through some slow movements. "... It's different than kendo armor, that's for sure… But it's good."

"Great!" She tugged Kaoru's hand, leading her out of the room. "Now let's do something about that wooden sword!"

"But- Misao-chan, wait!"

"Don't worry, Kaoru, I'd never give you something _edged_." Misao threw open a shoji that Kaoru had never noticed before. "We've got lots to choose from!" Misao rested her fists on her hips. Kaoru peered around her, into the room… and felt slightly lightheaded.

"M- Misao-chan!" The walls were lined with weapons of every shape and variety that Kaoru had ever seen, and several that she hadn't. There also appeared to be the components for bombs and Kaoru didn't even _want_ to know what was in those little glass vials…

"I know! Pretty impressive, huh? This collection is property of the Oniwabanshu, so you'll have to return anything you borrow!" She winked and bounced towards the far wall. "Now, have you been practicing with suburito or only your bokken?"

"I- I…" Kaoru blinked rapidly and pulled herself together. "I use a suburito for personal practice, and a bokken or shinai for teaching."

"Hmm, that's good. What about two handed fighting? You have any moves for two weapons?"

"No," Kaoru shook her head. "Most of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu's stances use two hands on the hilt."

"Well, that's not as good. Without an edge it'll take longer to disable an opponent. I'd like to give you a weapon designed to disarm... But at least I can give you something heavier than a stick!"

"Hey! I _like_ my bokken!"

"Well, too bad!" Misao looked into Kaoru's eyes, her expression grim and a little angry. "You didn't see Kenshin when we all thought you were dead. You'll carry something more durable than a bokken or I'll go along, too; I don't care about whatever it is you want to keep private."

Kaoru looked into Misao's eyes. "...What did you have in mind?"

Misao gave her a fierce smile and picked a weapon from the wall. It was nearly identical in appearance to her suburito at home, but longer, and made of unsharpened steel. "This may be too heavy, but try it out."

Kaoru stood in the center of the room and gave it a few experimental swings and shook her head. "Too long, and too heavy." She offered it back to Misao.

Misao nodded and hummed as she put it back into place. "Something like this?" She offered another metal item, shorter this time, and with a hook near the base designed for disarming an entangled opponent.

Kaoru frowned at it and shook her head. "I've never used anything like that. I'm afraid it will throw off my swings."

Misao simply nodded and put it back. "Ooh, try this one!" She handed over yet another blunt weapon, this time similar to a wakizashi in every way, as though the care and love of sharpened steel had been poured into a practice blade. Kaoru took it from her hand, swinging it slowly and testing its length and balance.

"Have you worked with shorter swords before?"

Kaoru nodded. "Sort of. I use this length of bokken sometimes."

"Would it throw you off, you think?"

"I don't think so."

Misao grinned, fiercely. "Wanna go test it out?"

Kaoru's smile was just as sharp. "Definitely."

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Kenshin sat with the men and watched from the corner of his eye as Omasu and Okon doted on Kenji, who seemed to be blossoming back to life under their attention. Looking back to his companions, he smiled his rurouni smile and subtly moved his cup slightly further away from Okina and his relentless offers of alcohol. _He really is quite persistent…_

He looked up as he felt the Kaoru and Misao approach, frowning at the fighting quality of their ki. _What are they-_ Then women burst into the room, both in rather snug fitting training gear and- and _light armor_ and was that a _blade_ at Kaoru's waist?!

"Kaoru-dono!"

Kaoru looked at him with a fierce smile. "We're going to practice. Come watch, Kenshin, and tell me if you think the weight is throwing off my stance."

"Yeah!" Misao cheered. "And keep score, too, okay?"

Kenshin put his cup down with shaking hands. "But, Kaoru-dono, is that _steel_?"

Her eyes softened for a moment. "It's not edged, Kenshin. Never." He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"This one would be honored to assist, that I would."

* * *

 **On reviewer appreciation:** I think that writers as a group are very insecure; I decide that my writing is complete garbage about three times a day. _Feedback is so very important to our entire community,_ and I truly appreciate every one of you that take the time to review. _Thank you!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Warning:** There smut in this chapter, marked with a line break so you can scroll and skip if you'd rather.

This chapter was _painful_. Animanical, my illustrious beta reader, might have finger calluses from hitting the 'suggestion button' so much. On one scene, I just wrote 'rage quit' and left it for two weeks.

That said: I hope you like it!

* * *

" _But Kaoru-dono, is that steel?"_

 _Her eyes softened for a moment. "It's not edged, Kenshin. Never." He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding._

" _This one would be honored to assist."_

* * *

Kenshin, and most of the Oniwabanshu, followed the women into the practice room. He seated himself at the edge of the practice area as the women finished going through a few basic warm ups, and Misao jogged to the weapons rack and picked up a short staff.

"Misao-chan? I didn't know you used a staff," Kaoru said.

Misao grinned. "Well, I can't exactly throw kunai at you! And most kempo artists train with a staff. I should be able to give you a workout," she said with a cocky grin.

"Fair enough! Let's begin," Kaoru said, raising the heavy wakizashi into the first defensive position of Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Misao raised her staff in response, and Kenshin automatically took note of her form; while a bit unconventional, her movements were practiced and fluid. With some quick jabs aimed at Kaoru's hands and side, Misao started out by testing her opponent's defenses. Kaoru rebuffed them easily. So Misao stepped forward, into Kaoru's circle, with one swing attempting to push her wakizashi aside, following through with a strike at Kaoru's hip with the other end of her staff. Kaoru was too quick and too clever for the ploy, and parried both. They broke apart and circled a little. Clearly a bit frustrated, Misao stepped in, this time with a shoulder strike, which Kaoru easily parried, then used as momentum for her own offense. Misao was pressed back, as she blocked a barrage of head and shoulder attacks, until finally, she parried too high and Kaoru managed to slip in under her arms, landing a hit to Misao's side. Kenshin was pleased; Kaoru was handling the match skillfully.

"Point," Kenshin called. The women acknowledged him and stepped apart.

Misao's next attack was a forward stab. Again Kaoru blocked it, dodging backward to avoid the incoming back end of the staff, then circled the end of Misao's weapon with another side slash. Misao evaded the hit, but was forced to block Kaoru's attacks until again, she parried too high and allowed Kaoru to slip inside her defenses. Misao couldn't be taken the same way twice, though, managing to parrying Kaoru's strike by dropping down and back, but then she was overbalanced, and was forced onto her back. Misao tensed to leap away but before she could, Kaoru had her blade at her throat.

"Point." Kenshin shifted in his seat; Misao was not as good with a staff as she was with kempo, certainly.

Kaoru offered Misao a hand up and the women once again took opposing positions. Misao face was focused, her _ki_ happy and bright. "You're pretty good, Kaoru!"

Kaoru grinned fiercely. "I've practiced with swords since I was five years old, Misao. I'd better be good."

At that, Misao darted in, attempting to use her weapon's greater range to land a blow. This time Kaoru did not attempt to slip under her guard, choosing instead to deliver a powerful blow to the staff itself, right above Misao's grip. Misao hissed at the sting the vibration caused, and Kenshin winced in sympathy. _That must have hurt._

Kaoru grimaced. "I'm sorry, Misao, that was dirty."

"It's alright; dirty fighting is the best kind!" Misao shook out her hands.

Kenshin frowned internally. Misao was _omnitsu_ , and as such, her strengths were stealth, acrobatic ability, and cleverness. Her primary weapon was a ranged one. Now Misao was being forced into a direction confrontation using her secondary weapon. Within these restraints, Kaoru far outclassed her and so this exercise was of minimal benefit. Yes, Kaoru's form was good and she was compensating well for the new weapon, but she was not being _pushed._

Aoshi leaned towards Kenshin, his voice quiet. "This accomplishes nothing."

Kenshin nodded his agreement. "Stop!"

The women broke apart, and Aoshi rose. "Misao, your skills are not well-employed in a match such as this."

"Awww, and it was just getting fun, too!" Misao pouted up at him, one hip cocked to the side, and Aoshi's eyes softened in amusement. _She has always been good for him._ Misao grinned and walked to the weapons rack, with Aoshi following close behind. Misao returned her practice staff to it's place.

"Kamiya-san." Aoshi chose two practice short swords and quietly walked to the center of the room. Kenshin caught his breath, his spine straightening and muscles tensing. He felt a dozen objections clawing at his throat, yet he couldn't speak. He would not shame his wife _or_ Aoshi in such a manner, but that knowledge did nothing to ease the coiled tension in his body.

Kaoru raised her new weapon into a defensive position.

"No," Aoshi said. "Attack."

"But- But Kamiya Kasshin Ryu-"

"Contains offensive movements **.** If you wish to fight at your husband's side, you must also attack." They stared at each other across their separation. "Come," Aoshi said.

Kaoru's jaw hardened. "Yes," she answered, and then she closed the distance and struck **.** Aoshi parried easily and pushed, _hard_. She flew back several feet, twisting in the air to land on her feet, knees bent to cushion the impact. She landed well, Kenshin noted, keeping her weapon and her focus despite the throw. Her mouth pressed into a thin line and then she attacked again, her movements growing faster and more fluid as the room echoed with the sound of their strikes. Aoshi's attacks grew increasingly rapid but he was handling the match with care, Kenshin noted with appreciation, while still pushing Kaoru to use more challenging and varied forms. She also maintaining her natural advantages, drawing power from her broader hips and keeping her center low and balanced.

The two disengaged for a moment, and Aoshi shifted into a stance that Kenshin knew; it was a trap. Aoshi was calmly setting Kaoru up for a harsh strike to the ribs. Kaoru ran forward, stepping to the left as Aoshi intended, and Kenshin's breath caught in his throat. _It is only sparring; Aoshi will pull the blow, it will be fine..._ It didn't stop him from curling his fingers into fists.

Then Kaoru shifted quickly, blocking the true blow and ducking under the feint, elbowing Aoshi in the side while she did so. Both Kenshin and Aoshi blinked in surprise as Kaoru spun away, and a flicker of a smile passed over Aoshi's lips before they engaged again. Kenshin felt a smile tug at his own mouth; Kaoru was doing _very_ well.

They continued until Kaoru's arms began to shake. "Good," Aoshi called, and relaxed out of his form. He gave Kaoru a polite bow.

Kaoru returned it, her face set with a properly solemn expression. "Thank you for the match, Aoshi-san. I look forward to doing it again."

Aoshi replaced his practice sword at the far edge of the room. "Kamiya-san, you seem entirely capable of wielding steel… I am glad." He gave her another bow, and then walked out of the room.

Kenshin waited until Aoshi was gone, then uncurled himself from the wall and warily approached his wife. "Kaoru-dono?"

Kaoru was red-faced, covered in sweat, and transparently exhausted, but when she focused on him, an enormous smile dawned over her face like sunrise in the mountains. "Kenshin! Did you see that? That was the _best_ match I've ever had!" And there in front of Misao and half of the Owniwabanshu, she threw her arms around Kenshin's shoulders and squeezed.

"I'm going to do some cool downs and take a bath, okay? Then I want you to tell me everything I did wrong!" And with that exuberant happiness, she jumped away from him to do just that.

Kenshin blinked. "Oro…"

An hour and a half later Kenshin found himself back in the practice room, guiding his wife through some small corrections in her form to compensate for the weight of her new weapon.

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Supper was just as raucous as lunch, followed by singing and drinking games... and after a large quantity of sake, Okina started dancing. Kenshin pressed a hand over his eyes and drained his cup.

 _This one will never be able to forget this image…_

"He always does this," Aoshi said.

"It's no wonder you meditate so often – clearing one's mind of such things would be helpful, so it would." Aoshi's eyes were amused as he politely refilled Kenshin's sake, then quietly took a sip of his own tea.

Kaoru returned from nursing Kenji, smiled at Kenshin, and giving Okina a wide berth, seated herself with the women. Kenshin's eyes followed her with barely disguised longing; he would far rather be curled around his wife than sitting here being irreparably traumatized by Okina's bare legs.

Kuro sat forward. "Do you have enough provisions for your trip?"

"This one had planned to go shopping in the morning."

"Cold weather gear?"

Kenshin sighed. "Some. This one has camped in the cold many times, but this one is concerned for Kaoru-dono."

Shiro filled Kuro's cup, grinning. "Don't worry about Kaoru-san; I'm certain that Misao will loan her as many things as _you_ can carry."

Kenshin smiled back. "She is an enthusiastic woman, so she is."

"I was more concerned about your food supplies. Are you planning a one day or a two day walk?" Shiro asked.

"We will just have to see, so we will. This one is uncertain of the terrain and quality of the road. Kaoru-dono is unused to hard travel, that she is."

Kuro offered a tiny bow. "We'd be pleased to outfit you with some tasty supplies, Kamiya-san." Kenshin felt a warmth in his chest, and bowed more deeply.

"You are truly too kind, Shiro-dono, Kuro-dono, that you are. We are in your debt."

Later, Kenshin excused himself as soon as was reasonably polite, with a pleasant buzzing in his ears from the sake. Kaoru joined him, linking her arm with his and cuddling into his side once they were out of sight of the party. Kenshin was particularly interested in her soft curves as they pressed against his arm.

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He closed the shoji firmly behind them, and unobtrusively flipped the latch. His wife was undressing for bed, moonlight playing over her body, casting silver and shadows in enticing patterns. As Kaoru began to re-dress, Kenshin prowled forward. He slid his arms around her waist and tried to pull her into a kiss, but before he managed to capture her lips, she slipped a hand up and he found himself kissing her fingers instead.

He pulled back and blinked at her in surprise.

Her smile was wry. "Kenshin, you're trying to use kissing-"

"Oro! This one-"

"To avoid discussing what's going to happen!"

" _Kaoru_ …" He wanted to groan like a petulant child, and just barely avoided it. Instead, he made sweet, innocent eyes at her and kneaded her back, pulling her more firmly against him. "This one is much more interested in what we could be doing _now…_ "

She pursed her lips, attempting to look stern, and firmly pushed him away. "I spread some blankets behind the screen." She nodded at the cozy little nest behind her, her voice gentle steel. "Get dressed for bed."

Kenshin sighed; he'd had a very different intention for that lovely pile of blankets. Kaoru seated herself and started brushing out her hair. Kenshin sat next to her as she finished braiding, watching her, taking comfort in the familiar scene: Kaoru, dressed for bed, weaving her lovely hair into a neat queue, as she had nearly every night since their marriage. She tied off her braid, looked him over appraisingly,and then waved her hairbrush. Kenshin took it from her and placed it next to their impromptu little bed. He then pulled her towards him and twisted, ending comfortably on his back with Kaoru curled into his side. Shifting and wiggling slightly, she settled in her customary spot against his shoulder.

She began tracing little patterns over his chest. "What do you think we'll find?"

He tugged at his bangs and then lay quiet for a moment, resting with his wife. "This one has thought very little about my life before being adopted by Shishou… as far as this one was aware, there was only ever a small handful of people who knew anything about it."

Kaoru hummed. "That definitely reduces the odds of it being some type of trap, then."

"Aa. No one in the Ishin Shishi knew anything of my childhood; _this one_ knows little of it. There is only a very remote possibility that someone bearing a grudge against me could have found such information."

Kaoru rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "Well, that's good, right? It's probably exactly what it seems like, then." She shifted up onto an elbow. "…Kenshin, if Manami-san is your aunt, then you could have more family there." Her eyes shone in the dim light. "Hiko-san is… Hiko-san, he took you in, and I'm grateful – he raised you. But… family… even just a place that you're tied to – it's important. I want that for you, Kenshin."

"Kaoru, I have family _here_." He squeezed her lightly for emphasis, and this time, she let him kiss her.

* * *

He gently rolled her onto her back and covered her body with his own, his hips cradled against hers, and kissed her as she wrapped silky thighs over his hips, crossing her ankles behind him and lightly trapping him in place. Gratefully, he let go of his thoughts and focused instead on scented skin and soft curves.

Slow, drugging kisses eventually gave way to soft, wet kisses down her neck and collar bones. He kneaded her breasts – _gently,_ _always gently –_ then nibbled down the taut skin of her belly, teasing her with lingering kisses on the hollow of her hips. Kaoru's breathing became rapid, and her hands in his hair were growing very impatient, tugging and mussing.

He smiled, teasing her just a little longer, then pressed his smiling mouth to her sweet, wet flesh. Kaoru pressed a hand against her mouth to muffle herself, but wonderfully broken versions of his name still filled the air. Kenshin thanked any god listening that their little boy was such a sound sleeper, then intensified his efforts, concentrating only on what he could do to wring more and more interesting sounds from her lips.

The muscles in her hips and thighs were twitching under his hands, and he savored the faint edge of her nails against his scalp, the clean tangy taste of her on his tongue. He loved being able to bring her such pleasure, was enamored with the changing pitch of her moans, with the glistening sheen of a light sweat on her skin. She began to pant heavily, her hips writhing, one hand clawing at the blankets and another in his hair, keeping him pressed firmly into her flesh. He shivered, excited by her rising arousal. Sliding two fingers inside her, he added a quick rhythm of pumping fingers to the siege on her senses **.**

"Kenshin…" She gasped for air around the syllables of his name, and it was _beautiful_. "Just a little more _._ Almost there…" He carefully curled his fingers within her, searching for the little spot on her walls that would- _Ah, there she goes…_ She arched and quivered, pushing into his mouth, and he reveled in the feeling of Kaoru falling apart under his hands and mouth. Once she had relaxed, he sat up, wiping his face clean with the back of his hand and taking a few calming breaths.

He crawled up and leaned over her, bracing his hands on either side of her face; she was flushed, sweat sticking her hair to her temples, her mouth red and swollen. He watched her face, focused on her while he pushed inside her, then paused for a moment to appreciate the exquisite way her body welcomed him.

Kaoru smiled up at him, her pupils dilated wide, and slid a hand to his nape to pull him down into a kiss. He moved over her, inside her, in long, sweet motions, her legs around his hips, her mouth soft against his own. She stroked small hands across his shoulder and back, meeting his rhythm, panting into his mouth, and it just felt so _good,_ so right, so much like _home_...

She came; Kenshin gasped as she shuddered all around him, her hips suddenly bucking upward, pressing hard against him, wonderful internal muscles squeezing and fluttering and milking his cock, and it was _just enough_ \- He pulled away to release on the soft skin of her belly, spasming against her, shivering with his own climax.

Panting like he'd run a race, he toppled onto the blankets bedside her, and pulled her next to him, firmly into the warmth of his body. He pressed a kiss to the top of her dark head and floated comfortably in the after affects of bliss. She lay with him quietly for a few moments, then sat up to grope for a towel.

* * *

After they had moved to the futon with their son, and Kaoru had fallen asleep, Kenshin lay for a long while, cuddled between her and Kenji, one hand behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"… _family… even just a place that you're tied to – it's important. I want that for you, Kenshin."_ Kaoru had been raised by her father, in her familial home; she had lived in the same city all of her life. It was only natural that she would regard the importance of blood family that way. Perhaps she could not understand, but Kenshin had never been more complete than he was now. He would go to his birth village, and see what there was to be seen, but nearly thirty years after he had left… what could there be there, that he did not already have?

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The next day was full of preparations and packing and preparing Kenji for his first ever separation from his parents. Kenshin sorted through the packed supplies several times, continuously thinning the pile down to a reasonable amount, repeatedly returning items that Misao kept quietly slipping into their packs.

"Kamiya! You should take an extra bedroll!"

"This one does not think such a thing will be necessary, that I don't."

"But what if one gets wet?!"

"This one will merely ensure that does happen, that I will."

"..."

"Kamiya, Kaoru will _need_ more tabi than that!"

"Misao-dono, why do you believe Kaoru-dono will need more than _six_ pairs of tabi?"

"...What if one gets wet?" Kenshin smiled guilelessly, and quietly bullied Misao into accepting the return of the extra pair. _She's only trying to help… many of the items she has loaned Kaoru are both practical and valuable and this one is_ grateful _..._

The travel rations that Kuro and Shiro prepared were both practical and delicious-looking, and Kenshin carefully packed them away with pleasure; he couldn't remember ever being better provisioned.

Okina somehow located some relevant maps, and so during lunch, he, Aoshi, and Kenshin looked them over, drinking good tea and discussing the area. By the time Okina tucked the maps away, Kenshin knew the exact location of the sister villages, the general layout of the area, and had a basic understanding of the terrain.

Late that night, Kenshin quietly sorted through their supplies one last time, packing them away snugly for ease of access and even distribution of weight. Kaoru was still nursing their son, cooing to the boy and petting his bright hair. She had been nursing him for much longer than usual, and Kenshin smiled gently, knowing that she would miss that closeness.

She had tried to explain to the little boy that they would be gone overnight, that she would not be there to put him to bed for several days, and surprisingly, Kenji had seemed to express understanding. She had given Okon and Omasu exhaustive advice about caring for her son, and the women had listened patiently and smiled with understanding eyes.

Kenshin looked up again and noted that Kenji's small body was completely lax in sleep. Kaoru sighed and carefully laid him on the futon, tucking the covers around him.

"Kaoru, this one is finished packing and we should also go to bed. The morning will come very early, so it will."

Kaoru brushed a hand against Kenji's cheek. "Yes, it will." She looked up at him, her eyes shining in the dark room. "Come to bed, Kenshin."


	8. Chapter 8

(Sorry for the skipped week, real life occasionally intrudes.)

* * *

 _"Kaoru-dono, this one is finished packing and we should also go to bed. The morning will come very early, so it will."_

 _Kaoru brushed a hand against Kenji's cheek. "Yes, it will." She looked at him, her eyes shining in the dark room. "Come to bed, Kenshin."_

* * *

Kenshin finished tying the knot of his hakama, feeling troubled as he watched his wife say goodbye to their son.

"Mama and Daddy will be back soon, Kenji-chan, and it will be fun here with you aunts." She stroked the little boy's red hair. "You'll be good?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Don't be naughty at bath time."

"No baths."

Kaoru sighed. "Kenji-chan…"

Kenshin knelt down next to her. "Kaoru-dono," he said, touching her shoulder. "Are you certain you won't stay? This one would be fine."

Kaoru shook her head vehemently and when she looked up her eyes were angry and stubborn… and swimming with tears. "No, Kenshin. I _am_ going."

Kenshin watched her for a moment and then looked at his sleepy son. "Omasu-dono and Misao-dono have both offered to let you sleep with them, so pick whichever you'd like. Be polite. Do not hit or pull hair."

"Yes, Daddy." Kenji's eyes were wide in the face of his father's unusual gravity. Kenshin smiled then, to let the little boy know that everything was okay. Kenji's response was to crawl into Kaoru's lap and snuggle his face into her neck, which caused Kaoru to make a distressed noise and cuddle him close for a few minutes, then she laid him down and tucked him back into the blankets. Once Kenji was settled, they gathered their things and slipped silently down the hall. The household was still sleeping, but Kenshin knocked quietly at Omasu's door.

"You're leaving now, then?" Omasu's eyes were sleepy but kind.

"Yes, Omasu-dono. This one apologizes for waking you."

"No, no," she said, waving a hand. "It's my pleasure." She stepped out and shut the shoji behind her. "Kenji-chan should have the comfort of warm arms. Safe travels." Then she bowed and walked towards the guest bedroom.

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They slipped through Kyoto in the quiet grey of pre-dawn. Rather than exit the city immediately as he wished, Kenshin chose to walk east. Kaoru would surely appreciate even the small amount of extra smooth road – she was a strong woman, but city-bred. Kenshin doubted that she had spent many entire days wearing shoes, much less many hours walking over rocky, uneven paths.

During the walk through town, Kaoru was quiet at his side, lost in thoughts of her own. She'd left at least half of her heart at the Aoiya, and she was worried for her husband. Kenshin hated Kyoto; for him, being in the city was a discomfort to be endured. She suspected that visiting Otsu would likely leave him silent for hours, if not days, and he clearly had mixed feelings about visiting those little mountain villages. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that Kaoru could say to help ease his stress; all she could do was be at his side and offer silent comfort.

They left the city just as the sun crested the horizon, and the farther they walked, the fewer travelers they met on the road, although there were more than Kaoru had expected. They ate while walking, and Kenshin kept a close eye on his wife as she walked evenly at his side. Kaoru kept her chin up and eyes sharp; it did hearten him a little, her steady presence and her stubborn strength.

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They arrived in Otsu well before lunch. Kenshin stopped at a pleasant spot and gestured to a rather large boulder with a conveniently worn outcrop, the perfect place to sit.

"Kaoru-dono, please sit and rest while this one gathers some information." Kaoru just shook her head, unwilling to let Kenshin to wander around Otsu on his own. Kenshin laid a hand on her shoulder, and offered her a tiny smile. "Kaoru-dono." His voice was soft, although they were well off the main road. "This place has changed so much since the Meiji era as to be barely recognizable. This one is fine, so I am." She blinked in surprise, blushing that he had so easily seen her worry. "Rest here, Kaoru-dono. Your feet will be sore by tonight." He walked away with his customary gait, steps shuffling softly against the ground. Kaoru watched until he was out of sight, then skirted around the boulder, seating herself behind it and out of sight to pull off her shoes and groan quietly.

 _Sore by tonight, he says. Sore now, more like._ Grimacing, she poked at her tender flesh. She'd worn nice, thick tabi to help pad her feet, as well as to stay warm, but the skin was still slightly chapped and burning. She fished a pair of soft, thin tabi out of her pack and put them on, then drew the heavy, warm pair over that, followed by her sandals. Wiggling her toes and rotating her ankles, she considered her handiwork. Bulky, but better. She slipped back around the boulder and seated herself on the spot where he'd left her, glad for the opportunity to rest. She'd be damned before he left her in Otsu.

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When Kenshin returned, he had learned little about the possibility of bandits in the mountains, just some very vague rumors that seemed to support the story. He smiled at the sight of Kaoru sitting in the sunshine.

"Kaoru-dono, are you well-rested?"

"I'm fine, Kenshin." She stood and shrugged into her pack. "Did you learn anything interesting?"

He shook his head. "Nothing of value, that I didn't." Kaoru briefly tangled her fingers with his, concealed by their sleeves. They left Otsu no better, but no worse, than when they'd arrived.

Several hours later, Kenshin tried to convince his wife to stop and rest for lunch. "We are making good time, Kaoru-dono. There is no reason to push yourself, that there isn't."

She frowned, her chin set at the stubborn angle that he knew so well. "I'm slowing you down enough already. We can walk and eat."

"Kaoru-dono-" Instead of answering him, Kaoru shoved a rice cracker into her mouth and chewed viciously, staring at the rather lovely scenery hard enough to start a grass fire. Kenshin was wise enough to drop the subject.

About an hour after lunch, Kaoru began to lag, and Kenshin chose not to comment. Instead, he merely matched her pace. An hour after that, he began lagging a little to encourage her to slow her pace further. Two hours later, his mouth pressed into a thin line, he noted Kaoru's subtle limp.

"Kaoru-dono, the road will only get steeper from here, and the wind colder. We should rest."

"You mean _I_ should rest."

"As we travel further it is likely that it will become colder and the road rougher. It will also become dark earlier than you are used to, as we are in the shadow of the mountain. We will stop here and camp, so we will." His tone warned that he was not going to yield, and although Kaoru's shoulders slumped, she nodded. Kenshin took her pack. "There should be a stream in a few minutes. We will stop there." He had no intention of telling her that they were only one _ri_ from their destination, and that truly the road they had already traveled was both of a rather mild grade and moderately well maintained, as it skirted the base of the mountain. If her feet were in the state that he suspected they were, there was no question about traveling any further tonight. Besides, he would rather arrive in the village in full daylight.

Kenshin walked, and Kaoru limped, until a steeply arched and well-maintained bridge came into view.

"Why is the road so rough and that bridge so nice?!"

Mildly, he said, "It's likely that with the spring thaw, this little stream floods with the melted snow, that it is. It is only prudent to maintain the bridge; if it was damaged, the only road south would become impassable."

"Yes, you're right." Kaoru blushed at her own behaviour. "I'm sorry, Kenshin."

He brushed a hand over her shoulder. "It is alright, that it is. You do not feel well." They struck out east from the path, walking for several minutes down into the trees until Kenshin found a spot that he liked. He dragged a small log out from the underbrush. "Sit here and rest, Kaoru; this one will be back shortly, that I will. Please stay alert." He gathered water, sticks and dry grasses, and a likely-looking short log. The famous March wind of this area was both brutal and cold, and even in her warm clothes, Kaoru must be feeling chilled. With efficiency born out from years of practice, Kenshin had a nice fire going after a few minutes and a sufficient camp established. There was no reason to leave Kaoru alone to gather ingredients for a meal, and not much grew here at this time of year anyway. He sorted through Kuro's generous gifts and selected several items, warming them as well as he could, while boiling the stream water in their only pot.

Kaoru ate slowly and Kenshin narrowed his eyes at her fatigue. "Let me see your feet, Kaoru." She grimaced at the very idea, then gingerly removed both shoes and tabi. He sucked a sympathetic breath through his teeth; they were just as bad as he had feared. The skin under the straps of her shoes was rubbed raw, and there were scattered wounds that looked as if blisters had burst and crusted.

"This one cannot protect you if you do not tell me when you are hurt, Kaoru," he scolded mildly, and Kaoru had the grace to look down and away. He washed her feet in silence and applied a salve that he knew from experience would sting. His stout-hearted wife never flinched. He wrapped them in bandages and a new set of tabi, then tucked her in the bedroll with her extra clothes and jacket piled on top. She'd be warmer if he lay with her, but instead he simply sat between her and the wind.

"Kenshin? Aren't you going to lay down?"

"Perhaps later." Kaoru glared; Kenshin smiled. "It is my honor to watch over you tonight, Kaoru."

"...You should sleep, too, Kenshin. If you wake me, I'll… stand watch for… few hours at least," she argued, already drowsy.

He stroked her bangs away from her face. "You are unused to such travel, that you are. Please rest." She was fully asleep in minutes, and Kenshin watched the rhythm of her even breaths. She had done well today, city raised as she was. To walk eight _ri_ on country roads… four _ri_ was mostly likely as much as she had ever walked in one day; endless hours of barefoot practice in a dojo with polished wooden floors would not have prepared her for this. He had not lied; watching over Kaoru today had been a welcome distraction. Despite his worry for her safety, her presence was always welcome.

He cast his senses wide and found reassuring nothingness, just the normal goings on of forest animals. Now with Kaoru well cared for, warm and asleep, he had nothing to distract himself from his thoughts, and they chased themselves across his mind in uncomfortable chaos. He sorted through his earliest memories again, as he had nearly every night since Manami's appearance, but still, all he remembered was the usual jumble of affectionate blurs of half-remembered faces, and the impression of… safety, and contentment. Most of those people were dead and gone, but he could admit that it was likely that there were others alive... What if they were _all_ dead or gone, those theoretical uncles and cousins and friends? What if they weren't?

He shivered from a particularly nasty gust of wind, tossed another piece of wood on the fire, and settled in for a long night.

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The next morning Kaoru woke cold and sore. She grimaced and took a quick inventory of her body: her back was stiff from sleeping on the ground, her muscles chilled from the damnable wind, her feet were a mess that she'd rather not think about, and her breasts hurt. Although, the fire to her left was quite nice… She sat up carefully to find Kenshin quietly repacking their bags.

"Good morning, Kaoru. How are you feeling today?"

Kaoru briefly considered lying, but discarded the idea as pointless and likely to upset Kenshin, bedsides. She settled for brevity. "Sore." Now sitting upright, her breasts were _miserably_ sore.

"Why don't you dress and have breakfast, and then this one will change the bandages on your feet."

Kaoru sighed at the idea of fully undressing on this cold mountain, but she went about doing so anyway, carefully rebinding her milk-swollen breasts as quickly as possible. Dressed, and as close to the fire as safely possible, she ate a quick breakfast and then let Kenshin care for her feet.

After that, she shrugged into her pack and they started _walking_ again. Kaoru bit her chapped lips to suppress any complaints at the steadily worsening terrain and the increasing grade of the road. Depressingly, the road zigzagged upwards. She understood the reasoning, managing the grade of the road by working _with_ the mountain and not against it, but the lengthening of the path was enough to make her want to curse. Twenty minutes later, every curse word she'd ever learned from years of training with men and listening to Sano's drunken songs were tumbling around her head. She walked with her head down, focused on her footing, ignoring her breasts and her feet. When Kenshin came to a rather abrupt halt, she almost ran into him.

She looked up and saw it, the first of the two little villages. It was picturesque, two neat rows of houses winding through two mountain ridges, still fallow fields on either side, as well as some terraced fields extending up the slope from the rear of the village.

"Which one is this?"

"Supposedly, the village this one is from, Akaida. Shiraiyama is still further north."

Kaoru stepped forward and rested a hand on his back. "Do you recognize anything?"

Kenshin was silent for a moment. "No." He sounded a little disappointed.

"You were only six. It's not surprising."

"No, it is not." Kenshin adjusted his hat over his tell-tale hair. "Are you ready, Kaoru?"

Kaoru smiled for him. "Always."

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The road led through the center of the village, houses clustered directly on either side, with small gardens behind that lead up to steeply sloped fields. The houses were of sturdy mountain make, well constructed with straight walls and windows.

As they neared the center of town, they were treated to many mistrustful glances, and although he could feel Kaoru's tension, he was not disturbed by the suspicious eyes of the villagers. Actually, the wariness was reassuring; it was now even _more_ likely that Manami's story about bandits was true.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru's voice was quiet. "Have you noticed how many of these people have _brown_ hair, not black?" From under his hat, he looked carefully over the people bustling about their business; there _were_ an unusual number of people with light hair. _Interesting…_ He filed the information away, keeping a watchful eye out for a shrine or guard post, or perhaps the headman's home, as they walked. He did _not_ expect to be confronted by two rough-looking men holding crude cudgels.

"What are you doing here, strangers?" said the first. They were both clearly trying to be intimidating.

Kenshin tried playing the harmless rurouni. "Oro?"

"What business do you have here?" said the other. They were only a little taller than Kenshin.

"This one and my wife were merely passing through, that we were. Unfortunately, she has injured her foot. Perhaps you might have a healer or priest here?" Half-truths were always better than outright lies.

The men exchanged looks, clearly unprepared for a reasonable request for aid. "Okabe would probably see you." Kenshin suppressed a twitch at the lack of an honorific for the priest or healer. _These are very rude men…_

They were walked further up the hill, flanked by the men. They both felt foul as the brushed against his _ki_ , a meanness and desire to dominate common to bullies. Kaoru certainly didn't like them; her energy behind him was alert and defensive. The men were making her terribly uncomfortable, and it was causing Kenshin to bristle.

There was a surprisingly large Shinto shrine to the right of the road, seemingly in good repair and quite neat. There was likely a resident priest here, and Kenshin was pleased. Priests knew everything in a village, and were often a good source of information. This could be used to his advantage.

"Old man!" Their escorts merely stood at the gate and shouted, one moving to stand too near for comfort. Kaoru actually stepped close enough for Kenshin to feel her breath on the back of his neck. "Old man, you've got strangers here who want to see you!"

A short and tidy priest walked out of the shrine, old and a touch stooped, with very intelligent dark eyes and an angry expression. "I know your mother raised you better than this, Hiroshi-kun! Take yourself and your bad manners elsewhere! And you, Shigeki-kun, come back when you can be polite. Off with you! These people don't need an armed escort; what kind of bandit travels with his wife?" He waved a hand as though dismissing children. The rude and burly men walked away with amusing speed – although once through the gate, the shorter of the pair spat on the ground. "Terrible!" The priest huffed, then turned his discerning eyes toward Kenshin and Kaoru.

"Would you care for tea? Or do you perhaps have some urgent business?" His speech and manner were calm and polite, and Kenshin felt his wife relax.

"It's not urgent. And tea would be perfect, that it would." The priest gave them both a friendly smile and ushered them into what were clearly his private living quarters. Kenshin calmly removed his hat to step inside, and the old priest paused, just barely, and then he prepared and poured tea while introductions were made. When Kenshin accepted his cup and took a polite sip, he blinked down at it in surprise; it was probably the best tea he had ever drunk.

"The tea is _very_ good!" Kaoru's voice was awed, and then she blushed at her own bluntness.

The priest smiled. "The old haven't the time to waste being embarrassed, young lady. Thank you; tea is an important crop here. It does very well in the southern fields."

"You have a lovely home, Okabe-sensei." The priest's sharp eyes assessed Kenshin closely. Kenshin kept his expression innocent and his _ki_ tranquil.

"Thank you very much. Even here in the country, as a traditionally Shinto shrine, we have benefited from the new government's religious policies." _Ah. That explains the obvious maintenance_. They finished the astonishingly good tea in appreciative silence, while Kenshin and Okabe continued to quietly assess each other.

"Thank you for very much for the tea and the hospitality, Okabe-sensei... My wife is quite tired from traveling. Might you know of anyone in town who lodges travelers?"

"Hanari-san and his wife often rent their extra room to peddlers and traders. I do not see why tired travelers would not also be welcome. Tell them that I have referred you."

"...Forgive this one for saying so, but there seems to be greater than usual mistrust of outsiders here, so it does."

Okabe sighed. "Yes, well, the village is… in the midst of hard times. We have been beset by criminals since autumn. They raided us for the first time immediately after the harvest, and several times this winter. People are afraid, and hungrier than usual. Please excuse our poor manners." The priest gave a shallow bow, his expression troubled. "And you, young lady; do not walk alone."

"Your wariness is understandable, then, that it is." Kenshin was careful to maintain a rurouni's guilelessness. "We are strangers."

The priest's eyes wandered pointedly to Kenshin's hair, then down to his eyes. "Perhaps not so strange," he murmured.

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Not quite two _ri_ away, a red-haired, brown-eyed woman hummed a familiar song as she made breakfast.


	9. Chapter 9

*****Warning:** smut in this chapter, separated by a line break for your scroll and skip convenience.

(And on Kenshin's tendency to hop into bed when emotionally stressed; sometimes it's easier to deal with difficult things when your brain is pickled in oxytocin first. And I can't see Kaoru letting him brood very often.)

I'm bending the rules of genetics a little bit here, but _you_ try explaining Kenshin! ^_^x

* * *

" _We are strangers."_

 _The priest's eyes wandered pointedly over Kenshin's hair, and down to his eyes. "Perhaps not so strange," he murmured._

* * *

Sitting next to Kenshin, Kaoru stilled completely, not even daring to breathe. Kenshin continued smiling blandly.

Okabe's mouth twisted into a wryly amused line. "There aren't many born with hair that stays so red."

Kenshin raised his eyebrows.

"It generally turns brown." Kenshin's smile slipped for the first time. "Young man, I have only ever seen hair like that in one place."

"Where would that be, Okabe-sensai?" Kaoru's eyes darted between her husband and the priest.

The priest's eyes were sparkling with amused mischief, along with a hint of something else. Kenshin carefully placed his teacup on the table, then rested his hands on his thighs. Kaoru nearly blinked in surprise; Kenshin was sitting _seiza_. How had she not noticed that? Kenshin generally sat cross-legged; _seiza_ he usually reserved for formality or… He had already known. He had known that the priest would press him over his coloring, had invited it by removing his hat. She slowly and quietly returned her own teacup to the table.

The priest was still looking at Kenshin carefully. "You're older than you appear, young man, and there is only one person you could possibly be. Only one boy with hair and eyes like yours has _ever_ left this mountain." Kaoru recognized the other emotion playing in the priest's eyes now: sadness. The mischief had faded away completely, leaving behind only sadness and regret. Okabe sat back from the table to bow low. "I apologize for failing you so many years ago."

Kenshin made a strangled noise in the back of his throat and the expression on his face was odd and difficult to interpret. Kaoru waited three heartbeats, but it did not appear that her husband was going to pull himself together quickly enough to reply.

"Okabe-sensei. What-" She licked terribly dry lips. "My husband was so very young… Could you explain… what happened, please?"

The priest grimaced. "Cholera. Cholera happened… You certainly deserve to know, Kamiya-san, and I- I will attempt to explain." The ticking of a clock on a side table seemed to echo.

The priest took a deep breath. "It was the worst outbreak I have ever seen. Almost everyone was ill. So very ill…" Kaoru's heart twinged at the shadow of pain in the priest's voice. "There were only six adults left healthy; I was one of them. We tried, we six. I circulated the village with what medicines that I had, or could make, and... prepared the bodies of the dead for burial. Two of the woman cooked; they cooked meals for every house. Kimiko-san swore that she would not cook again for a year after that. One of the men circulated the village, carrying the departed to me and to the cemetery, digging graves. The other man worked tirelessly to ensure that _some_ level of sanitation remained in spite of the… nature of cholera. The last woman, she gathered the orphaned children and watched over them."

"But why- why did no one help Kenshin's family?"

Okabe's eyes darkened further. "... We did." Kenshin just shook his head. "There were so few of us, and so many sick… and you were very young… It is entirely possible that you do not remember the few minutes a day when an adult arrived to bring fresh water or a too-small meal."

"It was… it was because you were forced to bury your mother that we didn't realize your situation until so late… Sachi-san had so many dead to bury… Too many. I did not think your mother was as ill as she clearly must have been, and Sachi-san did not check on your home that day. Later, when he buried your father and brother, none of us realized that your mother had already died. We should have. We should have known from the way you acted that day, but we simply did not. I have no excuse." Okabe bowed again. "It took us two days to realize that you were orphaned. By that time, people were beginning to recover. Your Uncle Hirotaka-san was supposed to take you and your sister into his home."

Okabe's face twisted in an expression of distaste. "He was… unpleasant when I told him to do so, but I was young and had no patience for him. Too many still needed care; those who were well were _expected_ to tend to their own families. There was no acceptable excuse." He fingered his sleeves. "We were all too distracted, immersed in our duties. We did not realize what he had done until Manami-san arrived and raised the alarm. Hirotaka-san was unapologetic." Okabe's antipathy was as transparent as glass. "Nevermind that in a small village like ours, in a harsh environment like this, every child is treasured, _every_ child belongs to the community. Nevermind that his sister was standing beside him, raining insults on his head, outraged that he had sold her blood only three days before she had arrived to take you. Hirotaka-san refused to tell us where he had met the slavers. Days on this mountain…" He shook his head. "We tried, but we were unable to find any trace." The priest looked up at Kenshin, regret written in his eyes. "You were lost."

.

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.

They followed the priest's directions to the Hanari home, with a pouch of tea in Kenshin's sleeve that Okabe had insisted they take. Hanari Mayako was a short woman of ample proportions and perhaps fifty years, with hair beginning to gray and a face accustomed to smiling. She was delighted to offer them a room and meals after they explained that the priest had referred them to her, and that they could pay in hard coin. The room itself was very sparse, with a futon, a chest, and a vase of plain make but filled with carefully preserved dried flowers. Mayako bustled about, bringing a generous pile of worn but clean blankets, a bucket of fresh water, and coal for the hearth. She smiled and bowed herself out of the room, shutting the shoji behind her.

Kenshin was pleased that there was a hearth. A hearth in the small room meant that at least Kaoru would be warm; the wind battered at the wooden walls, finding every crack and bringing with it a bone-chilling cold. He busied his hands and emptied his mind by building a fire, while Kaoru set out clean clothing, towels, and a small bar of soap.

She glanced over at him, then knelt close and leaned against his shoulder, a warm and reassuring weight. Her eyes searched his face, then she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and stood up, rifling through their packs. "The moment this room gets warm, I am going to wash, Kenshin. I swear, I'm wearing more dirt than clothing at this point – I just found a leaf in my hair." She maintained a monologue of sweetly mundane chatter and Kenshin let her voice wash over him, a normal and wonderful thing on this very bizarre day. He poured some of the water into pot over the hearth and quietly waited for it to heat up.

After, when they were clean for the first time in two days, and Kaoru had snuggled into his shoulder and had wrapped a blanket around them both, they sat quietly against each other for quite some time. Blankets and cuddling were Kaoru's cures for many ills. Kenshin always appreciated both.

"Would you like some tea, Kenshin? It really is very good."

"...That would be nice." She gave him her beautiful smile and squeezed his arm before she left to request cups from their hostess.

Kenshin sat, drank tea, and appreciated the warm comfort of his wife until lunch.

Mayako seemed embarrassed as she brought the meager tray of food into their room. "...There have been several raids by bandits this winter…" she murmured.

"This will be more than fine, Hanari-san. Thank you very much," Kaoru said, and the woman gave her a grateful smile before she shut the shoji. The modest meal was carefully prepared and well-seasoned. They ate in silence.

Once Kaoru finished carefully restacking their empty plates and bowls, she sat back on her heels. "Kenshin?"

Kenshin looked away, into the fire, and tried to find words. Part of his past… his _**origin,**_ had been totally rewritten in one short conversation; the shape of his own self-knowledge had been changed. What Okabe's story meant, on a personal and selfish level, was strange, and difficult to assimilate.

His voice sounded peculiar to his own ears, like casting pebbles into a still pond. "…They _wanted_ me."

Kaoru laid a gentle hand against his cheek and rested her forehead against his, her voice whisper quiet. "How could they not?" The bottom dropped out of his stomach, and he leaned forward and kissed her without thinking; she was real and solid, warm and comforting.

* * *

. . . . .

When they pulled apart, Kenshin had an odd look on his face – Kaoru didn't quite know what to make of it. "Kenshin?" Instead of answering, he shook his head and kissed her again with rising desperation. Kaoru rubbed soothing hands across his shoulders until he pulled back, pressing kisses to the corner of her lips and jaw. "Kenshin…" Her voice was as soothing as her hands.

"This one is sorry, Kaoru. It's - I just want to not - just for a while…" Kaoru frowned at his wavering pronouns.

It was afternoon and their hostess was likely still in the house, but if he needed her, needed an outlet... she would give him whatever he wanted until it was enough. They'd simply have to be quiet. "Okay," she whispered. "Okay, I'm here." She kissed him. "Whatever you need, Kenshin."

He pulled away to speak and his eyes were dilated dark blue, his voice deep and rough. "I want to _drown_ **,** " he said, and his next kiss was hard, his hands in her hair holding her still, and for several moments it was Kaoru who was drowning as she tried to keep up. He was rarely this intense.

 _That's fine,_ she thought, and began undressing them both, pushing back into him. _If he needs it, I've got it._ She pressed a hand against the back of his neck. They kissed until he was panting into her mouth, trembling in her arms. "It's alright," she whispered. "You're mine." She pressed little kisses against his neck, pushing against his side. "Lay back, Kenshin." He obliged, tension still evident in his tight jaw, his tense muscles.

She straddled his hips and kissed him fiercely, stroking firm hands over his chest and belly, grinding against the hard cock between her thighs. He raised both hands, kneading the flesh of her hips, his cheeks flushed. She moved to his neck with sucking kisses, and he turned his head to side, granting her greater access and offering encouragement. Down his neck and his chest, she lavished attention on his skin, kisses and licks and little nips, loving him with her mouth and hands. Down further, to his taut belly, lean and firm with lithe muscle. She kissed the lines across his abdomen, working further and further down until he had his hands fisted in the blankets. She dropped teasing kisses along the hollows of his pelvis, then finally pressed soft, slow kisses to the head of his cock. He hissed and pressed his heels into the floor.

Kaoru moaned quietly; his excitement was contagious, and it made her squeeze her thighs together. She gently curled a hand under his cock, lifting it up off of his belly, placing little sucking kisses up and down the underside of him, tonguing against that special little spot under the head. He groaned and stroked a hand over the back of her head, gathering her hair into one hand, keeping it up out of her way. Kaoru painted little patterns on his cock with her tongue, arousal burning deep in her belly as she listened to him gasp.

"Kaoru… please…"

She closed her eyes and sucked just the head of him into her mouth, rewarding his oh-so-quiet moans by pulling more of him in. He bucked into her mouth slightly, so she started a slow, drawing rhythm. Continuing to pulse his hips, he involuntarily started dancing to her rhythm. She began swirling him in her mouth as she sucked, adding another layer to his pleasure, though not quite giving him what he needed to climax. _He needs to not think for a while?_ _Then I'll make him mindless_.

She deliberately kept him there, excited and aroused and on edge, until the muscles in his belly began to quiver. Then she pulled off of him with a quiet _pop,_ sitting back onto her heels. _He's so beautiful…_ Kenshin was staring at the ceiling, eyes unseeing, red hair darkened with sweat and plastered to his temples. He blinked gorgeous violet eyes, slowly returning to lucidity. When he focused in on her face, she smiled for him, repressing the urge to squirm at the ache between her own thighs. He made a muffled noise and sat up, reaching for her.

She welcomed him into her arms as he nuzzled her neck, his calloused hands rubbing her back as he mumbled nonsense and praise and attempted to pull her into his lap. "Kenshin," her voice was coaxing as she combed her fingers through his bright hair. "How do you want me?"

He froze, stopping his efforts to pull her forward, and twitched in her arms. She lightly bit at his ear while she waited for him to form coherent words, pleased that she'd unwound him to this degree.

His voice was hoarse and muffled against her neck. "Knees?"

"Sure." She gently pushed him aside, her beautiful, panting mess of a husband, and moved onto her hands and knees. He crawled over her, draped himself against her back and stroked trembling hands down her sides to her hips, pulling her back into him, his breath ragged against her ear. He dropped a kiss to the nape of her neck and then straightened. When he began, his rhythm was fast but not hard, and Kaoru stifled moan. It was always exquisite, the feel of him inside her, his hard cock gliding in the wetness of her body. She dropped her head forward and closed her eyes, digging her fingers into the tatami as she pushed back against him _._

When Kenshin began to push deeper, Kaoru pulled away. Hard and fast in that position was _loud_ , and this was _private_ ; Mayako was not invited to know about their sex life.

She turned around and kissed him. "Shhh." Lowering them to the floor, she used hands and legs to push him back inside of her. He rained disorganized kisses on her face and neck, shoulders and breasts, thrusting hard. She pushed against his shoulder, urging him to lean back on his knees, then reached down to touch herself, pushing her hips to meet his rhythm as her urgent fingers raced over that wonderful bundle of nerves.

"Sorry," Kenshin gasped, covering her hand with his own. "I- let me, Kaoru. You- sorry, this one will-"

Kaoru huffed at him. "Kenshin, don't be sorry." She lightly slapped his hand away. "If you have the ability to be sorry, we're not doing this right." He gave her a silly smile and shook his head, kneading and stroking her thighs while he moved. She arched her back and kept touching herself, her eyes falling closed as she relished the feeling. The coil in her belly wound tighter and tighter while Kenshin thrust into her, sharing his body with her; it was always so good, listening to him pant with pleasure, seeing the joy he took in her. She forced her eyes open.

He was glazed in a fine sweat, muscles tense and in stark relief as he moved. He was watching her: watching her fingers move and their bodies join. The glazed, dilated look in his eyes caused her to shiver. When he pulled her right leg up to his shoulder, she gasped and pressed her free hand over her mouth. _Gods, I've got to be quiet…_

Suddenly Kenshin grunted and spasmed, driving into her convulsively, pulling her hips down and tight against him. She couldn't help her moan at the feeling of his cock twitching inside of her, sending her fingers into a wild dance. _Ah, it's been so long since he-!_

And then she climaxed too, her body snapping stiff and tight, neck arching, gasping, riding him in little grinding pulses. She delighted in being _full_ , reveled in the knowledge that Kenshin had just spent himself in her body. She shuddered through the little aftershocks of her orgasm, stroking herself slowly as she relaxed.

Kenshin pulled out of her and collapsed onto the floor. He was still gasping as he ran a hand through his bangs. "This one did not mean to-"

"It's fine," she interrupted. "It's the wrong time for anything to happen, Kenshin." She smiled over at him. "You worry too much."

"Okay." He closed his eyes and lay there looking perfectly ravished, flushed red, sweating and exhausted, his chest heaving, bright hair a mess. Her grin widened. _Good job, Kaoru!_ She propped herself up on his chest, feeling pleased and proud and very, very satisfied. He raised a limp hand to her head and petted her hair. She lay there with him until his flush began to fade, until their bodies began to cool, then she kissed his chin and rolled away. Locating a towel and a blanket, she took care of the mess and securely tucked the ends of the blanket over them both, warding off the chill.

. . . . .

* * *

She cuddled into that perfect spot on his shoulder, the one that was clearly made to cradle her head, enjoying his one armed embrace as she watched his face soften into sleep. Kaoru herself stayed awake, keeping watch over her sleeping spouse, keeping him safe in her arms while he rested.

.

.

.

The feeling of _not-at-home_ brought Kenshin awake all at once, as it always did. Despite that, he felt rested and relaxed, a welcome contrast to his earlier tension. _It's nearly dark_ _...How long did this one sleep?_

Kaoru shifted against him, uncurling herself from his side and rolling partially onto his chest. She answered his unasked question "You didn't sleep that long. It just gets dark so early here, that's all."

He hummed an acknowledgment, and rested a hand behind his head, tracing gentle fingers along the graceful lines of his wife's back. Kaoru was looking at him, her eyes bright and shining, as they always were, her smile sweet and ready. Kenshin shifted onto his side, pulling her closer, and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. She raised dark eyebrows in inquiry, but Kenshin just leaned forward to kiss her temple in answer. It was... strange, to hear what the priest had said, but what did it really matter? Everything else aside, Kaoru, kind and loving Kaoru, was still his wife, and their life and their family were still waiting for them at home.

She kissed him briefly, just a press of lips, then propped herself up on a hand and pushed aside the blanket. "It's time to get up! Hanari-san will probably bring dinner soon." Kaoru's side was crossed with pink lines from lying on a woven surface, her hair was mussed, and there were love bites on her collarbone. He sat up and blushed, scratching the back of his head. Kaoru looked over her shoulder at him as she shrugged into her clothes.

"What?" Kaoru rolled her eyes at his grimace and slapped his chest with the back of her hand before he could speak. "You asked for nothing that I was not pleased to give. Stop being silly and get dressed." Her eyes turned teasing. "I think that seeing you naked is more than Hanari-san bargained for."

"Oro!" That thought galvanized him to action, and he dressed with nearly record speed, then got a drink of water and filled the kettle for tea while Kaoru brushed out her tangled hair.

"So what are we doing tonight?" From his spot next to the hearth, Kenshin blinked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Not _that_ , you pervert!" She threw a pillow at him. "I mean, what are we going to do tonight about all of this." She waved a hand at the wall, her gesture encompassing the village and the situation at hand.

"Ah. _You_ are going to sleep, and this one will do a little bit of looking around." Kaoru frowned, but he preempted her. "You are hurt. Your feet should be fine enough tomorrow, but for tonight you should rest." He met her gaze and willed her to see how seriously he took this matter. "This one has no intention of engaging anyone tonight, Kaoru. This one merely wishes to inspect the village's defenses." Her shoulders slumped and she grumbled a little.

Kenshin moved to tend to his wife's feet. They looked better, the rawness of the abraded skin had faded, and the scattered wounds from the blisters weren't as angry-looking. Overall, he was pleased with the progress of her healing. He spread salve over the wounds and rewrapped them. She'd been guarding another part of her body today, he'd observed, with small, unconscious movements.

"Kaoru. Is there something wrong with your chest?"

Her face flushed brightly. "... I've just never gone so long without nursing Kenji. It, um, hurts a little." She'd had a painful inflammation once when Kenji had been teething and not nursing properly; it would be better to take care of the matter now, rather than wait. He coaxed Kaoru onto her back and laid warm, wet towels across her swollen breasts. Her embarrassment evaporated when the towels contacted her skin, and she hissed in obvious relief. He brushed his fingers through her bangs, sitting with her and changing the compresses periodically. "You must _tell me_ when you are hurting, Kaoru, or this one cannot help."

She sighed. "Kenji doesn't really nurse very much anymore. It shouldn't take long to stop." He allowed disapproval to show clearly in his eyes and she, utterly unchastened, pinched his side. "I'm an adult, Kenshin, stop babying me."

"This one is not _babying_ you, Kaoru, and is certainly well aware that you are an adult." Inside he was laughing, but outwardly he tried for wounded. "This one only desires to care for you as a good husband should."

"Liar!" Kaoru shoved him and he obligingly fell over.

"Oro…"

"Go get us some dinner!" She was laughing, and it made his mouth turn up at the corners as well. It was amazing, how often Kaoru was able to coax him out of a foul mood. Still smiling, Kenshin obediently left the room, searching for Mayako. He didn't bother to wear his hat. Really, no matter how accomplished a gossip Mayako was, the news would not reach the headman before he did.

"Ah! Hanari-dono." The small woman was in the kitchen filling a tray with dinner items. "This one would be pleased to carry that for you."

"No, no, Kamiya-san, it is my-" She looked up and nearly tripped over her own feet, her mouth frozen in a little 'o.' Kenshin repressed a grin; for the moment, he was rested and relaxed, he was feeling uncommonly mischievous. The woman's reaction was terribly funny. "I- I... Kamiya-san, your _hair!_ " She sat the bowl she'd been holding precariously close to the edge of the counter, and reached out a hand, as though she intended to touch the hair in question. She blinked and snatched her arm back to her side just in time, as though realizing how unconscionably rude that would have been.

Kenshin gave her a sunny, oblivious smile. "Yes, this one forgot my hat in my room, so I did." He rescued the bowl and sat it on the tray. "Really, this one must insist on carrying this heavy tray, Hanari-dono." The poor woman's mouth was flapping open and closed. He gave a small bow over the tray and exited the room, leaving the flabbergasted woman behind.

At the doorway to his room, he balanced the tray and slid open the shoji with the ease of long practice. "Dinner, as requested!" Kaoru was redressing herself as he entered and she smiled up at him.

"You're in a very good mood."

"That's so," he agreed easily, arranging their dinner and handing her a pair of chopsticks. Kaoru gave him a cheeky grin, and Kenshin just shook his head at her smugness. "Soup?" He offered.

.

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* * *

A random note on my change in username: I NEVER thought that I'd write anything at all; I've never been a writer, just a daydreamer. My account was made to read only, and my username was part of an email address. Then I started writing and actively participating in the community here, and realized - you can't _say_ my old username, with all of those numbers, and it was just awkward. Thus, new name; it's very silly, but at least it's pronounceable!

 _Animanical asked:_ Is it a contraction of mama and oro? XD

 _Answer:_ Why, yes. Yes, it is.


	10. Chapter 10

All due thanks to my wonderful beta reader, Animanical! :D

A note on _why_ Kenshin didn't ask the priest about his sister: the priest merely implied that the little girl was alive when Kenshin was sold, which he already knew. Kenshin thinks that she was critically ill he left, then died afterwards, and has thought that for the last 27 years; it is as much of a fact for him as the color of the sky.

* * *

 _Kaoru was redressing herself as he entered and she smiled up at him. "You're in a very good mood."_

" _That's so," he agreed easily, arranging their dinner and handing her a pair of chopsticks. Kaoru gave him a cheeky grin, and Kenshin just shook his head at her smugness. "Soup?" He offered._

* * *

Kenshin walked quietly down the dark street, weaving between houses. During the day, there had been a patrol on the main roads of the village, but at this hour there appeared to be no one. Although the fallow fields and the gardens behind each house provided a nice line of sight for anyone on guard, the village itself had no real defenses. The barns and storage sheds were unprotected and no guards were posted despite the repeated raids. Kenshin frowned and made his way back to the Hanari home before it became too late. He knocked on the front door quietly, and was greeted by the Hanari Iesada, Mayako's husband. They exchanged pleasantries, then Kenshin excused himself to his room. Kaoru was asleep, her dark head peeping out over the thick covers. He smiled at the sight of her, and the sound of her familiar, strangely delicate snoring, before changing into his sleeping robe. Once dressed, he placed the sakabatou at the head of the futon, and slipped under the covers with her.

She hummed and turned towards him. He curled his arms around her, nuzzling the sweetly scented spot behind her ear. "Go back to sleep, Kaoru." Pressing a kiss to his jaw, she then snuggled under his chin. Kenshin settled into a comfortable position, allowing the warm body and even breathing of his wife to lull him to sleep.

.

.

.

The next morning, he and Kaoru waited two hours after full daylight, then, his hat firmly in place over his bright hair, they walked through the village to the home of the headman. Kenshin noted the indolent guards, now out and about in the daylight, and noticed how Karou began walking closer. He looked carefully at the other women going about their business and saw that they, too, were avoiding those men, eyes cast down and away. Anger began a slow smolder in his gut.

When they left the guards behind, Kenshin gently pulled his wife between two houses and kept his voice low. "Kaoru-dono, you are avoiding those guards, that you are. Why?"

She looked at the ground. "I don't really know. They're louts, I could beat them into the dirt, but something about them…" She shook her head and twisted her fingers together. He nodded and briefly clasped her hand, brushing a thumb across her knuckles.

Per Mayako's directions, the headman's house was at the northernmost point of the village. The house was grander than the others of the village, which to a certain degree one might expect, but here it seemed excessive: although barely budded, the trees to the side and back of the house were clearly ornamental, and there did not appear to be a vegetable garden, which implied _very_ negative things about family's means of support. In response to Kenshin's polite call, a subdued woman in expensive clothing answered the door.

"Pardon me," Kenshin offered a bow, and was careful to keep his tone gentle. "This one would like to speak to the headman, that I would." His request was accompanied by his guileless rurouni smile.

The woman looked up through her lashes and her blue eyes were disturbingly dull. She nodded and gestured them inside without speaking, walking with tiny steps in her silk kimono, like a courtesan, instead of the uninhibited stride of a country woman. She showed them into a room that was grandly decorated, if just on the wrong side of gaudy.

"Please wait here, honored guests." Her voice was an emotionless murmur. "I will tell my honored husband of your arrival." She bowed too low and left.

Kaoru's eyes were huge. "What was that?!" she hissed. "That woman acted like she was fifty years out of date! And timid as a mouse, besides." Kenshin merely frowned, unease settling in his gut. It was several minutes later when the woman shuffled back to the door.

She bowed, again far too low. "Please follow me, if you would." She led the way to a back room. The house itself was beautifully decorated and unusually warm, with several hearths and a fire in each room. Really, the amount of coal being burned here was unpleasant, overwhelming the house's natural design for drawing the smoke away, and creating a quite literal 'unpleasant air' in the home. She opened a door to another slightly gaudy room and seated herself demurely behind and to the left of the man who was presumably both the headman and her husband. The headman was settled on a cushion, dressed expensively and … eating. Eating _and_ drinking sake well after breakfast and well before lunch, at a time of day when any respectable country couple should be working.

Kaoru, with chin tilted forward and shoulders straight, knelt at Kenshin's left, their knees evenly aligned; he suppressed a smile.

"What can I do for you?" The man's words were polite enough.

"This one was passing through-"

"Former samurai, eh?" Kenshin kept the surprise off his face at the interruption. The man gestured and his wife quietly refilled his cup. "What are people like you doing on the mountain?"

Kenshin didn't quite manage to maintain his smile. The man tossed back his sake and gestured for yet more, before Kenshin regained composure and replied, "This one was passing through and heard about the village's recent difficulties-"

"Ah, good!" The man cut Kenshin off again. "Man like you needs some work, eh? You look kinda scrawny, though." He eyed Kenshin with open skepticism; Kenshin saw Kaoru's hands curl into fists. "Think you're up for slaughtering some bandits?"

Kenshin blinked. "This one does not-"

"They're a damned nuisance! We won't make our taxes at this rate!"

 _...Theft and the rape of village women is a 'nuisance_ '... "This one would be happy to assist-"

"How much?" The man wiped his mouth. "We don't have much to pay," he added. The man's beady little eyes were gleaming now; no doubt he hoped to dupe a passing warrior into eradicating the bandits for a pittance. Kenshin had no intention of taking money for such a thing, but the stupid man hadn't even let him finish a single sentence yet.

"This one would not require-"

"Good, good! We'll work out payment after, eh?"

Kenshin drew in a slow, deep breath. "Perhaps you could tell this one about the attacks, and what measures your village has taken."

"Ah, well, the raids started this fall, just after the harvest was brought in. A bunch of 'em, maybe six or ten men, came barreling across the fields and hit the storage building just down the road. By the time everybody got dressed and made it down there, the bastards had made off with as much rice and salted fish as they could carry. The next time they stole even more!"

"How often have they returned?"

"Mmm, every three or four weeks. We're almost down to millet. _Millet!"_ The man scowled, and his wife flinched. The anger in Kenshin's gut burned brighter.

"What countermeasures have you taken?"

"A couple of the men have taken up guard around the village. This place is full of cowards, though, so only two or three who will take up arms and patrol."

"Do they patrol at night? Guard the storehouses?"

The man licked his fat lips **.** "They have to sleep sometime. Not reasonable for a man to work at night."

"But do the bandits not raid at night?"

The man wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "Not reasonable." His eyes were challenging.

Kenshin gave a sharp nod and changed the subject. "How long has it been since the last raid?"

"Three weeks," the man said sullenly.

"Do they attack from any consistent direction?"

"How would I know? I can't be everywhere!" He pounded a fist on the little side table and the woman sitting behind him jumped.

"...Do you know of any other pertinent information?"

The man glared. "No."

Kenshin bowed. "Then this one shall take my leave."

The fresh, chill air outdoors was a cooling relief. Beside him, Kaoru radiated anger. "What a disgusting man!" Kenshin couldn't help but agree.

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.

They passed through the fields and into the surrounding trees, in the direction that Okabe had indicated yesterday.

"What are we looking for?" Kaoru said, now calm and quiet at his side.

"Any traces of the bandits' passing, old camps or anything of the like," Kenshin replied. Kaoru nodded and turned her eyes toward the ground. They completed a slow, careful circuit of the forest near the village. There were no signs of a large group of men's movement or camps, which implied two things, one, tracking was quite difficult on this mountain, and two, the bandits had at least a semi-permanent camp relatively nearby. Finding such a location would be difficult.

"I haven't seen _anything,_ Kenshin… What should we do?" She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and looked to him with concerned eyes.

He sighed. "We should perhaps ask some of the village men if they have seen any signs. For now, though, we should keep watch at night and sleep during the day, that we should."

"Unlike those idiots?"

"Indeed."

Kaoru shaded her eyes and checked the position of the sun. "Well, we've missed lunch. We could go back to eat and nap and wait."

He smiled. "That would seem to be the best option."

The walk back was pleasant, if uncomfortably windy. "What is going on with the _wind_ in this place? It never stops!"

"This mountain is famous for the wind, so it is. It is worse earlier in the year."

"It gets worse?"

"Aa. They have a memorial each year for the men and women that are killed by the wind capsizing their boats."

Kaoru stopped and stared, radiating disbelief. She looked adorable. " _Why_ does anyone _live_ here?!"

Kenshin just laughed.

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The villagers were… different as they walked through town. Kenshin was still wearing his hat, as they'd been tromping around outside for hours, but that didn't matter. He hadn't expected it to. In a village this size, everyone knew everyone else's business, and indeed, Mayako appeared to be an accomplished gossip. Gone were the suspicious side glances. Several people called out greetings. Many more smiled and bowed in passing. Not a single mother called their children away as they passed.

Kaoru's smile was especially bright.

The had indeed missed lunch, by several hours. "Hanari-dono, this one sincerely apologizes. Perhaps you might have something left over…" He said, trying large, sweet eyes.

The woman, who had only ever been the epitome of a kind and polite, if slightly distant, hostess, placed a hand on her hip and pursed her lips. "Kamiya-san, you are both so late that it's nearly dinner! And don't try that face with me, young man, I've helped raise a brood of children."

It was only three o'clock. "Ah, well, Hanari-dono, this one has agreed to help with the bandits, so I have, and my wife and this one spent the afternoon in the woods-"

"The woods! Well then, go wash your hands and faces and come back. I'll warm some soup." She shooed them out of the kitchen like naughty children.

Kaoru muffled a giggle behind her hand, and Kenshin just shook his head. They returned to the kitchen with their faces and hands washed.

"There now!" Mayako dried her hands on her apron and ladled up some soup. "Just the thing for a breezy day, eh?" She patted Kenshin's shoulder as she passed. He and Kaoru exchanged looks.

"So, you're going to take care of those bandits… It's about time someone did! You both carry swords, too." She smiled at Kaoru. "Not that many female warriors these days, more's the shame. Nice to see a young woman what can look after herself. I'd like to see them try to attack a woman like _you_." Her expression was vicious. "If more women could defend themselves it would give men like that a pause, I say." She cleaned the counter with more vigor than the task truly deserved.

They finished their soup, and Kaoru smiled at the woman. "Thank you very much for lunch, Hanari-san."

"We plan to sleep through dinner, Hanari-dono. If it would not be too much trouble, perhaps you could set back a bit of the evening meal."

"Going to be up and around at night, then? Good! Those idiots Yaganita-san has marching around are as useless as tits on a boar." Kenshin blinked and Kaoru pressed her lips together to avoid grinning.

Kenshin cleared his throat. "This one has noticed that the village women appear to be avoiding those men, that I have."

"Well, they would, wouldn't they? Almost as bad as the bandits, that lot."

"They make my wife uncomfortable." That still chafed him.

"Then she's a smart woman. Those louts take what they want from vendors on market day like it's their due. They say nasty things to the young girls. Cruel men only get meaner when you give them authority; they shouldn't be _guards_. I wouldn't trust them to guard my laundry on washing day! Only Yaganita-san would give those bullies weapons." _Well. That was… forthcoming._ "Ah, don't mind me. You two should go get to sleep; just remember not to get caught without your sword, young woman." Again, she shooed them out the kitchen and towards their bedroom.

Kaoru shut the shoji and grinned at her husband. "Well that was different! She was acting like we were her own children."

Kenshin shook his head and smiled, dressing for bed while Kaoru rolled out the futon.

... _Every child belonged to the whole village, Okabe-dono said…_

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Kaoru loved watching Kenshin sleep. She so rarely got to do so; he fell asleep after her, and usually woke before her, too. If he looked younger than he was while awake, but when he slept, with his face relaxed and hair mussed, he looked no older than she did. He always slept on his back; they started sleeping curled up together on their sides, but he always ended the night sprawled out like this. He was sleeping much more lightly than he did at home, but still… He just looked so _cute_ in his sleep, and so very much like their son.

It was fully dark, and with a quiet sigh, Kaoru decided to go fetch dinner. Very, very carefully she eased out of the covers.

Immediately, violet eyes flew open. "Kaoru?"

 _Exasperating man!_ "I'm just going to get dinner, Kenshin. You should rest more if you're tired."

He blinked innocently. "This one is awake now, Kaoru. There is no need-"

"Kenshin! It's only to the kitchen!" She threw her half of the covers over his face. "Just rest!"

His voice was muffled under the blankets. "...Yes, Kaoru."

She rose and dressed, smiling at her husband as he emerged from under the quilts, his red hair messy and full of static.

Mayako was bustling about the kitchen, evidently making tea for her husband. "Ah, Kamiya-san, I've set back some dinner for you." She abandoned her task and took several dishes from the back of the stove, arranging them on a tray. "Here you are. Make sure your man eats, eh? Needs more meat on his bones."

Kaoru smiled and accepted the tray. "Hanari-san. You're being very, um, friendly today."

The woman beamed. "Well, I would be, wouldn't I? I knew your husband as a child, you know. Sweet boy."

Kaoru blinked. "But…"

"Well, only one boy he could be, isn't there? Shinta was always a gentle child, well behaved. A person's basic nature never changes. Mean children grow into hard men. Gentle children grow in easy-going sorts. _And_ he's going to sort out those bandits, so all to the good, eh? And he wears that sword like he was born to it. I'd wager he knows how to use it. Now, off with you before that all gets cold." Kaoru blinked; that woman really knew how to dismiss someone.

Kenshin was brushing his shaggy hair into submission as she let herself back into their room. He looked at the tray of food in surprise as Kaoru set it down near the hearth.

"That is too much for two people, that it is."

"Hanari-san thinks you need fattening up."

"Oro?"

Kaoru laughed.

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After eating, they walked quietly through the village to the communal storage shed on the central-east side of the road.

"What now?"

"Now, we wait, that we do."

"Alright… where?"

"Normally this one would suggest the roof, that I would, but the wind is quite cold." Already Kaoru's cheeks were pink and her nose was red. "Kaoru-dono, please conceal yourself here." There was a sheltered place behind the shed behind a truly enormous tree.

"But I can't see!"

"And thus they will be unable to see you, but you will be able to hear them, that you will. This one will make a quick circuit of the village and return." Kaoru began to protest, but Kenshin shook his head. "We will alternate; it will help reduce boredom and keep the blood moving."

In Kaoru's highly considered opinion, it was the most boring night she had ever spent, tempered only by the fact that sometime before dawn, Kenshin allowed her to snuggle into his side and doze. They spent two days doing exactly the same with no results.

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Kaoru was ready to revolt; all out mutiny seemed infinitely appealing. Never in her life had she been so sedentary. She'd been practicing kata in the woods each day, but it hadn't helped. She'd re-read her two small books until she could recite every damn poem. And she'd even started her cycle three days ago; at least sex would have been something to _do_! Kaoru abruptly pushed aside her lunch and shot to her feet. "I can't take it anymore!"

"Oro?"

"How can you stand it?!"

"...Stand what?"

"This!" Kaoru resisted the childish urge to stomp her foot.

He just gave her an infuriatingly calm smile. "This one has stood guard many times before, Kaoru."

"Ugh!" She wanted to pull out her own hair. Or his. Pulling out Kenshin's hair seemed like a good option. "I can't _do_ this, Kenshin!" She dropped back into a kneeling position and began pleading without shame. "Can't we do something different? _Anything_ different?"

Kenshin's eyes softened. "Why don't we go visit Okabe-sensai today? He might need some help, that he might."

Kaoru heaved a sigh of relief. " _Thank you_."

The town was mostly deserted, with only a few women and a cheerful rabble of very small children out and about. Kaoru smiled at the three toddlers with dark red hair. Looking up, she noticed that there were a lot of people standing in their terraced fields, bent over.

"Kenshin, what are they doing?"

He looked up as well. "Ah, likely just preparing the fields, removing stones and roots and the like. This one has done the task, many times, for room and board. The children too big to be carried and too small to be trusted on the terraces are left here in the village, and everyone else goes out and works together." He smiled at her. "It's hard work, but honest, that it is."

She smiled back, and watched the fields as they walked, imaging her husband out there among the men, working and laughing in the weak sunshine, bundled against the wind, keeping an eye on the older children as they learned to help. It was difficult to image Kenshin without a sword, but if his life had gone differently, he likely would never have touched a katana, never have been a hitokiri - and he would never have met her. The picture was bittersweet in the extreme: Kenshin without his shadows, but she without her husband. She stepped close to his side and tangled his fingers with hers, their joined hands hidden under his sleeve.

"Oro?"

Kaoru gave him a tight smile and shook her head, looking forward. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, then stroked his thumb across her index finger reassuringly.

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"Kenji-chan? Kenji-chan? Kenji-chan, you come out this instant!" Misao stood in the hall, hands on her hips. "Worse than your father, I swear…" Omasu returned from the opposite side of the house **.**

"Any luck, Misao?"

"No, none. How do Kaoru and Kamiya make this look so easy?! That kid is a tsunami **."**

Omasu frowned. "Nothing for it, then. He must be outside."

"Oh, when I get my hands on that kid…"

Kenji _was_ outside. In a tree. At two years old. Omasu gasped, hand over her mouth in horror. Misao flinched.

"Kenji-chan," she said, gingerly approaching the boy, not wanting to startle him into falling. "Kenji-chan, Auntie Misao is going to come up and get you, okay?"

"Okay!" The little boy was sitting on a low branch, swinging his legs, a picture of unconcerned innocence. "Auntie likes trees?"

"Trees are nice, Kenji-chan. We shouldn't climb them, though, that's bad." She hopped onto a low branch and began inching around the trunk towards the child.

"K- Kenji's bad?" Immediately his lip began quivering, tears filling his big blue eyes.

Misao internally groaned. "No, no. You're not bad – but you shouldn't climb trees." _There!_ Misao snagged the little boy safely under his arms and hopped down. Kenji regarded her silently for several seconds.

"Okay!" he chirped, and wiggled out of her grasp. "Food?"

Misao felt a headache coming on.


	11. Chapter 11

So, this chapter was rather unplanned, but as things unfolded, I realized it simply _needed_ to be written. So here we go!

* * *

 _The picture was bittersweet in the extreme: Kenshin without his shadows, but she without her husband. She stepped close to his side and tangled his fingers with hers, their joined hands hidden under his sleeve._

 _"Oro?"_

 _Kaoru gave him a tight smile and shook her head, looking forward. He watched her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, then stroked his thumb across her index finger reassuringly._

* * *

Kaoru bounded ahead of Kenshin as the neat little shrine came into view, happy for the distraction. "Okabe-sensai? Okabe-sensai, are you here?"

"In the garden!" The priest's voice drifted out from behind the shrine. They walked to the source, where there they found Okabe, dressed in a farmer's clothing, bent over and tossing small stones from a garden plot.

He looked up with a welcoming smile and dusted off his hands. "Ah! Kamiya-kun! I'm honored that you've come to visit this old man. Would you like to come in for tea?"

Kaoru darted a quick look at her husband, his face calm and his eyes violet, and spoke up. "No, no, Okabe-sensai! No need to trouble yourself. Are you preparing your garden?"

"Ah, yes, young woman. This is the full sun herb garden and my vegetable patch." He waved to the south, "Over there is the shade garden. Soon, I'll begin transplanting my hardier seedlings, so I must clear the ground."

"Would you like help?"

Okabe's eyes were questioning. "I'm a poor physician, but the only one on this mountain, and so I devote myself to growing herbs. The rest of the village is preparing the fields for the crops, as is only right."

Kaoru smiled. "Well, I am not from this village, and I am not preparing the fields, and I would be delighted to help with your garden!" Picking rocks from the soil was _something to do_ and it would help an old man. Kaoru began tying back her sleeves.

Okabe was visibly startled. "I- Well, thank you, young woman. That would be much appreciated."

They spent a pleasant afternoon preparing the sun garden and between the three of them, managed to finish clearing the entire plot. Kaoru's back and calves and thighs were wonderfully sore by the time the garden was finished and she couldn't have been happier.

"That's it, I think! Thank you most sincerely, Kamiya-kun! Please, now I truly owe you a bit of tea." Okabe said. Finally relenting, they followed him inside the shrine and sat as he prepared and poured the tea. They all took a quiet sip of excellent tea.

"Hanari-san tells me that you two have been standing a night watch." Kenshin hummed a quiet acknowledgment as Kaoru nodded. "Well, thank you for that! I've little standing with the headman, being a religious man, and have been unable to convince him to set a night guard."

Kaoru shifted. "Why haven't the village men simply set one themselves?"

Okabe's mouth tightened. "Because Shigeki-kun and Hiroshi-kun will not allow it. They have claimed that it usurps their authority."

Kaoru knew her confusion was written large on her face. "But-"

Okabe raised an acknowledging hand and his voice was overly patient. "Yes, young woman, I am entirely aware."

Kaoru shook her head, letting the ridiculous subject drop, and smiled at the priest. "Please call me Kaoru, Okabe-sensai."

Okabe smiled broadly. "Of course, Kaoru-san."

"... Okabe-sensai, can you tell me why the residents of this village have red hair?"

Okabe refilled their cups. "Many years ago, perhaps… five generations ago, I think, a group of gaijin became trapped here during an unseasonably early snow. I'm not sure how they came be to be this far inland. They certainly shouldn't have been anywhere near here! Had they been discovered, the consequences would have been terrible. There was nothing for it, though; after the first heavy snowfall there wasn't any hope of moving a group down the mountain. So they stayed, from first snow to thaw. Young hearts being what they are, many of the gaijin chose to stay permanently. We are quite isolated here, even more so then, and if a person chose not to leave the mountain there is little chance of discovery.

"The first children were all dark-haired and dark-eyed, the only traces of their heritage hinted in the shape of their faces. It was the _second_ generation that was a surprise." The priest smiled. "When those of mixed-blood married, there were very unexpected results."

"Red hair," Kaoru breathed.

The priest nodded. "I can only imagine the surprise in that first birthing room." A bit of the old man's mischief was back. "Ah, well. In any case, when those of mixed blood married, anything from dark-haired, dark-eyed babies to red-haired, blue-eyed babies were born." He glanced at Kenshin. "Red-haired children are still born, but it is much less common. Most of such children are born with dark red hair that turns a rather nice shade of brown as they get older." The priest's sharp eyes missed little, and he clearly read the disappointment on Kaoru's face. He smiled at her gently.

"You have a child?" Kaoru said nothing, but Okabe nodded anyway. "If the child's hair is dark red now, it will certainly fade to brown. Bright hair like your husband's is unusual, even in our strange little village. We have a sister village quite close by. Marrying our bright haired children to someone of the neighboring village causes the children of that union to appear more, well, _Japanese._ And Shiraiyama is so close that it's not considered a hardship."

"But then, why does Kenshin…"

"Have hair like that?" Okabe smiled widely, but his smile flickered into a solemn one as he turned to look at Kenshin. "How much of your family do you remember, young man?" he asked. Kenshin just silently shook his head. The priest looked down at his hands briefly, then straightened his shoulders.

"I remember your husband's grandparents, young lady." Kaoru blinked and the priest chuckled. "I didn't say that I was _as old_ as his grandparents, just that I remembered them! They were nice people. I used to play with one of your uncles." His gaze swung back to an unresponsive Kenshin and lingered before he turned back to Kaoru. "Ah, well. The two eldest boys were dark-eyed and with black hair. Manami-san had dark red hair. I remember well; I was quite taken with her when we were young." Okabe laughed at Kaoru's expression. "Don't look like that, young woman! Manami-san and I were not _born_ old. But she had light hair and blue eyes, and we all knew that she was destined to marry away from home."

"It was quite a surprise when this young man's mother was born. She was, oh, _at least_ ten years younger than Manami-san…" Okabe stared off to one side for a moment, his eyes far away. "Yes, it would have been thirteen years younger, because that was the summer I turned twelve." He offered Kenshin a gentle smile. "She was lovely; a pretty baby that grew into a beautiful young woman with sunset eyes and flame bright hair."

Kenshin's head was down, his bangs shading his eyes, but Kaoru could see that his hands were fisted where they rested on his thighs. "What was her name?"

The priest's voice was gentle. "Katsumi." Kenshin nodded, never looking up. The priest shifted a little. "Katsumi-san should have married a man in Shiariyama. It is just the way things are done, but she was always a law unto herself. She was gentle and subtle and always smiling, but immovable as the mountain. I knew better than to be interested in Katstumi-san; she would have danced circles around me without even trying."

"I may have been the only man in the village that _didn't_ chase her, though. Everyone knew the rules, but regardless, every boy was caught in her eyes. When she chose a man from this village, the parents of both should have denied the marriage, but they just… didn't. She was very hard to refuse."

"Oh…" Kaoru whispered.

"Oh, indeed, young lady. A woman with bright hair and light eyes married a brown-haired man, and two of their three children had hair as bright as flame."

For a time there was only the ticking of a clock in the alcove and the wind whistling through the trees, battering against the house and shrine. Kenshin finally looked up, and his eyes were still a calm violet.

"You'd mentioned earlier that you were planning make medicine today. Would you perhaps like some assistance?"

Okabe blinked. "Ah… assistance is always welcome, Kamiya-kun."

"This one is only 'Kenshin,' Okabe-sensai," he said softly. The priest smiled brightly in return.

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Kaoru found herself holding a mortar and pestle, grinding some type of seed into a paste under the two men's careful eyes, half-listening to their incomprehensible discussion on the art of medicine production. Okabe was delighted to discover that Kenshin was quite well-informed and cheerfully willing to divulge his recipes, and so the conversation became quite spirited, with Okabe taking notes as they talked. In the end, they made a great deal of a sunny-yellow salve, with several types of plant mixtures left steeping in liquor.

That evening, Mayako invited them to dinner with herself and her husband. "We had thought that maybe you two needed a bit of time alone, you know. But, you've been out visiting, and you're more than welcome at our table, if you're wanting." They accepted her invitation, and the dinner was quite pleasant.

They spent two more days doing exactly the same. The evening of the third night, they returned from helping Okabe to find a cheerful Mayako awaiting them.

"Kenshin-san, Kaoru-san, welcome back! Are you going to take dinner with Iesada and me?"

Kaoru glanced at Kenshin from the corner of her eye; he still seemed calm and relaxed. "That would be very nice, thank you, Mayako-san."

Mayako beamed. "You two smell like you've been rolling around in the garden again; off with you!" She shooed them off to wash while she finished the meal.

Hanari Iesada was a quiet man, who barely spoke yet still radiated friendliness. He smiled gently at his wife as she set the table and poured the tea. Once the blessing was said they tucked into the humble meal of salted fish, pickles, and millet. Halfway through, Iesada spoke unexpectedly, "It's going to rain tonight. No reason to stand watch, Kenshin-kun; bandits wouldn't brave a storm on this mountain."

Mayako clapped her hands. "Exactly! It'll soften the ground for plowing, you know, _and_ give you two the chance to stay indoors for a night!" She looked over at Kenshin. "...Some of the others have organized a little thing. A party. You've both been out visiting… and eating with Iesada and I. We thought- we thought, all of us, that maybe you'd like to meet everyone?" There was a moment of silence around the little table.

"...That would be nice, Mayako-dono."

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The party was set up in the middle of the road, partially sheltered from the wind by two homes that were built close together and some blankets strung over the alley. Several cheerful fires were blazing in braziers scattered in the street, with more logs piled up around them. The villagers were out in force, seated and chatting around the little fires.

Mayako turned to Kaoru, her face wreathed in smiles. "Let me introduce you to some of the women!" Kaoru gave Kenshin a sweet smile and followed their hostess. Clapping him on the shoulder, Iesada ambled away towards one of the groups seated around a fire. Kenshin paused, looking around the party and taking note of how many people were looking at _him._ He'd never enjoyed being the center of attention. _It's natural,_ _they're just curious,_ he thought, reminding himself that he and Kaoru had only been out and about while most of the villagers were in their fields or asleep _._ Spotting Okabe among an older group of men, he drifted into their periphery, standing just a little outside of the friendly circle. Almost immediately, the two men positioned with their backs to him turned, smiling broadly, and scooted to the edges of their log, making room for him in the center.

"Sit, sit!" The speaker was a friendly-looking man who looked to be in his forties. Carefully, Kenshin seated himself, trying not to look nervous. The other men were openly curious, looking Kenshin over far more directly than was strictly polite.

"Well, you're definitely Masahiro and Katsumi's son, then, aren't you?" Kenshin took in a sharp breath and turned to look at the speaker. Several of the other men nodded. _Masahiro…_ "Never thought we'd see you again."

Another man grinned. "Well, Mayako-san isn't often wrong, is she?"

"You are their son, aren't you, Kamiya-san?"

"... This one believes it might be likely… I met Kado Manami-dono in Tokyo, and she believes me to be her nephew, that she does."

"Ah, good!" A man dressed in red grinned widely. "It is good to see my cousin's son returned to Akaida."

"...Cousin?"

"Oh, yes. Your grandfather and my father were brothers." Kenshin blinked. "I'm Doppo, and that's my brother Kyoden." He nodded towards the man on Kenshin's left. "That makes us all second cousins, Kamiya-san." Kenshin consciously closed his gaping mouth.

Another man smiled over at him, his voice deep and quiet, "We'd be first cousins, Kamiya-san; Masahiro was my mother's brother."

Okabe seemed to take pity on a stunned Kenshin. "Most of the people in the village are related in some way or another, Kenshin-kun. Part of my duties include recording the marriages and births, and ensuring that any marriages are between third cousins or greater. There is more than one reason so many from Akaida and Shiraiyama intermarry; we must, to keep the bloodlines strong."

The man on Kenshin's left, _his cousin, Kyoden,_ handed him a cup and poured some sake. "Not every day you find a lost family, eh?"

Kenshin looked down at the sake. "No, that it is not."

Kenshin quickly lost track of the number of people he met, as one by one they came to over to his little circle, all claiming a familial relationship: cousin after cousin, as well as an uncle on his father's side and the man's pleasant-faced wife. Each new person seemed terribly curious and openly pleased to introduce themselves, their names and faces blurring together after the first dozen or so, and they just kept coming. By the time the party began to wind down, Kenshin's head was spinning.

The men around his fire had all stayed, and as the partygoers thinned, ushering their yawning children to bed, the men began to pepper Kenshin with questions.

"So where have you been living, eh?"

"In Tokyo for the last several years, that I have."

"Do you, uh… _teach_ the sword or...?" Several men shifted forward and Kenshin was careful not to be irritated by the question; he was a farmer's son with a sword. They were only curious.

"This one does not teach, no." He shook his head. "My wife is an instructor, however."

The cousin in red smiled. "Your wife seems a nice sort, Kamiya-san."

"And pretty!" His new cousin Kyoden was apparently more than slightly drunk, nudging Kenshin in the side with an elbow, his smile broad and harmless; Kenshin knew that he meant to tease, not insult.

"Aa, Kaoru-dono is a fine woman, that she is."

"How long have you been married?"

"Um, three years, so we have."

"Do you have any children, Kamiya-san?" The man in blue – _Tahaku –_ asked.

"One. A son." The familiar pride swelled, and Kenshin unconsciously puffed up a little. "He's two."

One man blinked in surprise and another raised an eyebrow. His tipsy cousin elbowed him again, and in a sing-song voice, "Well, you know what they saaay… The first baby can come at any time-"

" _Kyoden_!" His brother groaned.

"- the second one always takes nine months!"

"Oro!" Kenshin almost swallowed his own tongue, his face instantly flooding red. Even their closest friends had bit their lips, eyes dancing but tongues silent on the subject of Kaoru's pregnancy so soon after their wedding. "No! Th-"

Doppo interrupted, his hand over his eyes. "Of course not; please forgive my idiot brother, Kamiya-san. He thinks he's funny."

Kyoden looked confused. "What?"

Doppo stood. "Come on, you drunk fool, we're going home before the man with the sword kills you." He pulled his brother to his feet, bowed deeply, and bullied the confused and protesting Kyoden home.

One of the men sighed. "Why does someone always get drunk and say something stupid?"

Okabe was clearly trying not to laugh. "Truly, forgive him, Kenshin-kun. He'll regret this in the morning."

Whichever cousin was to his right refilled Kenshin's cup. "Take it as a compliment," the man advised. "You're not family until someone mortally offends you at a party." Kenshin looked into his cousin's friendly blue eyes and offered him a tentative smile, slowly letting go of his embarrassment.

Another cousin cleared his throat and shifted, obviously trying to change the subject. "After the bandits are handled, are you planning on visiting Chiho-san?" Kenshin looked at him blankly, and Okabe slowly straightened, a serious and concerned look in his eyes.

"Kenshin-kun," the priest said. "... are you not aware that Chiho-san lives in Shiraiyama?"

Something strange was twisting through his gut, adding to his growing headache. "Chiho-dono?" His voice was weak. A wave of confusion and tension, and more than a touch of pity, passed over every face.

Someone spoke. "Chiho-san… is your sister." There was nearly a full minute of silence as Kenshin struggled to form his thoughts into words.

"This one was told that she had died," he said, the words strangled. Reactions to that varied a bit, from grimaces to surprise, and one of Kenshin's new cousins actually spat on the ground.

"Got one guess who said that," a man growled out – _second cousin Yatsuhiro._ "Hirkotaka! It's _too far_ , I tell you, it was always too far, and that boy of his-"

Okabe raised his hand. "Peace! This is a happy night." He turned to Kenshin. "That was either a lie or a misunderstanding, Kenshin-kun. Chiho-san is alive and well, and lives in Shiraiyama." All Kenshin could do in response was stare.

Finally, Tohaku patted Kenshin on the shoulder then moved to douse the fire. "Time to go home, gentlemen, the storm is coming in!" Sure enough, Kenshin felt a drop of rain on his face. All along the road, others followed suite, extinguishing their fires and gathering their belongings, laughing and weaving their own ways home. His mind still a spinning blank, Kenshin rose and went to collect his wife.

She looked up as he approached, her cheeks pink in the wind, eyes bright and smile brighter. "Kenshin!" She stood and walked to his side, waving a cheery goodbye to the departing women who had been in her group. She tangled their fingers together under his sleeve, more forward than she usually was in public – then again, the very casual atmosphere of a country party had loosened many of the more formal customs.

During the walk to the Hanari's home, Kaoru began looking at him strangely, but kept quiet. They made it back before the rain began pouring down and the wind began to howl. Mayako took one look at them and poured them some tea. Drinking it felt nice, hot and soothing. They walked back to their room and Kenshin slid the shoji shut behind them.

"That was so nice; I haven't ever been to party like that! Everyone came over to say hello! …Did you have fun, Kenshin?" She cocked her head to one side.

"...Yes."

She put aside her jacket and came up to him, pressing her palm over his heart. Her voice was soft. "It was a little overwhelming." Her eyes were concerned; she was openly assessing him.

"This one- yes."

"Kenshin?" She stepped closer.

He blinked, then focused on her. "My sister is alive."

She jerked backwards, a hand pressed over her mouth. "Your sister?!"

"Her name is Chiho. This one… had forgotten her name."

"Where is she?"

"Shiraiyama."

"The next village? Kenshin, that's so wonderful! We'll visit after this mess is cleared up, right?"

"This one- yes." When he finished, Kaoru pressed forward, curling her slim, strong arms around his back in a warm hug. Blindly, Kenshin reciprocated.

"Come on, let's get ready for bed." Kaoru pulled him forward, folded his clothes as he changed, and handed him his sleeping robe when he was done. She changed into her robe, too, then guided him onto their futon before turning to start a fire. Kenshin just sat, thinking. His sister was _alive._ She was alive and living in a little village town and he would see her soon. He tried, so hard, to focus on his fuzzy memories of her, but he was unable to call to mind anything more than he already had: a little girl with red hair and brown eyes, missing her front teeth. A little girl who played with him. And his last memory of her, lying in bed, too sick to speak.

She had survived.

Kaoru sat down behind him and pulled him backwards against her chest, her legs on either side of his, her arms snug across his chest. "This is a good thing, Kenshin."

"Yes… Kaoru, what will this one _say_ to her?" He half turned to look at her.

She smiled, so gently. "Anything, Kenshin. You can say _anything._ I'm sure that she'll be so happy to see you that it just won't matter."

Kenshin nodded and turned back around. "Yes."

Kaoru scooted back a little to brush his hair. "Just relax," she coaxed. "This _is_ good news; it's going to be fine. She'll love you." In response, he hummed absently. "She. Will. Love. You." She tugged lightly on the ends of his hair for emphasis and then resumed her brushing.

Facing away from her while she cared for him, a smile began sneaking across his mouth, then began to bloom into a ridiculous grin. "Kaoru; my _sister_ is _alive!_ "

Kaoru laughed, happy and light. "Your sister is alive," she agreed.


	12. Chapter 12

So sorry for the delay, and no worries about an abandoned fic, I've got all but the last chapter roughed in and awaiting polish. Real life has been a real roller coaster lately, and this took a back burner. But, it's up now, and thanks for reading!

** **Warning:** There is smut in this chapter, separated from the rest with a LINE BREAK for your scroll and skip convenience.**

Also, warning: there be a fight scene ahead, folks. This is where that violence in the rating comes in. While my story isn't a gore-fest by _any_ means, it is a _bit_ more realistic than the flashy lights and color blurs in most of the anime. Fighting like our protagonists will do, with thin bars of hardened steel, will break bones and split skin, tear muscles and dislocate joints. And those nameless thugs Kenshin is always knocking out? To quote the ridiculous TV show, Archer, "Being unconscious is, like, _really_ bad for you."

* * *

 _Facing away from her while she cared for him, a smile began sneaking across his mouth, then began to bloom into a ridiculous grin. "Kaoru; my sister is alive!"_

 _Kaoru laughed, happy and light. "Your sister is alive," she agreed._

* * *

The next day,they performed their kata, then helped prepare medicine with Okabe. After, Kenshin insisted they lie down and nap before for nightly watch. They opted for the chilly roof instead of the muddy ground.

The hours crawled until it was almost two in the morning, Kenshin uncurled into a crouched position, gently pulling Kaoru up with him. "Kaoru-dono. They're coming."

They hopped down from the roof – Kaoru by way of a friendly tree, the roof was quite high – and walked to the spot Kenshin had chosen days ago. They stood quietly waiting, and Kenshin felt the familiar rise in tension that signaled a fight. There were twelve men, all dressed in dark, ragged clothing and a motley assortment of armor, carrying a variety of weapons. _Likely all scavenged._ The bandits were slinking into the village across the gardens, working their way toward the central road. Kenshin rested his hand on the hilt of the sakabatou and cleared his throat.

A large, unpleasant-looking brute noticed them standing there and stepped forward. "They hired themselves a washed-up former samurai, eh? Won't matter, will it boys?" he said in a booming voice. The other men snickered and jeered. "Listen, pretty boy." That caused Kenshin to quirk a brow. _That's new; they usually scoff at my height._ "You'd better move along."

Kenshin took a half step forward. "There is nothing for you here, that there isn't. If you do not want to get hurt, leave now, and do not come back." The big man smiled unpleasantly, and the others behind him drew their swords. Lights appeared in the windows of the closest houses. Kenshin drew his own sword and heard Kaoru do the same. "This is your last chance; leave now." At that, the bandits surged forward.

Kenshin was not as fast as he used to be; he had deliberately chosen to hold this confrontation in a place where the houses created a bottleneck, and luckily the bandits were stupid enough to rush right into it. _Oncoming: two._ He let them come, then stepped to the right. A bandit swung at him, _clumsy side-slash,_ and Kenshin stepped in, wrapping his arm around the bandit's, and with a quick twist, _dislocated elbow_ , followed by a blow to the back of the man's neck _quarter strength, can't break his spine – not hard enough, still standing._ Kenshin spun to the left, and the remaining men turned to follow. He attacked the closest one, while the man with the dislocated elbow weaved about unsteadily. The bandit Kenshin was now engaging moved to attack, _three forward stabs_ , and Kenshin flowed around each like water, then spun behind the man, landing a _side-slash to his back,_ _bruised kidney,_ followed by a blow the side of his neck _bruised carotid – one down._ Kenshin left the man with the knife to Kaoru, and flowed into the next bandit with a quick Ryūsōsen Garami – and _concussion, two down._ Behind him, Kaoru downed the knife-wielder with a nasty blow to the shoulder followed by a carefully pulled strike to the head, _three down._

The sleepy little village was now rang loud with the clash of steel, and more and more lights were appearing in the windows, the raised voices of the villagers joining the shouts and screams of the bandits. Kenshin lept backwards over the downed bodies, back to Kaoru, and roughly kicked the two closest unconscious men to the side, out of the way. The others stumbled forward, three of them attempting to squeeze themselves through the alley, bouncing stupidly against each other and the surrounding walls. Two of the men were circling around the house to the right; Kenshin felt their mean little _ki_ as they ran.

"Kaoru-dono. Two incoming, right rear." Kenshin said as he darted forward into the alley; she nodded firmly and shifted to face the oncoming threat. He prepared a Ryūtsuishōsen next, _deal with the remaining men quickly, return to Kaoru,_ and the nice solid wall of the house made a lovely impact point for his jump, dropping him between the two now in the front and the three behind. The follow through of the Ryūtsuishōsen disable the one in front center of him with a _neck blow_ , rendering him unconscious, _four down._ A low Ryūkansen, the whirling strike impacting the five still standing, disarming two, and then an two-handed Ryūshōsen to the man's chin, _five down._ The two disarmed men were scrambling for their weapons in the small and awkward space, and Kenshin dodged an oncoming hit, and completed a _forward thrust,_ stepping to the left and taking the opportunity to break a bandit's arm; the man dropped to the ground, howling, _six down._ Kaoru had her back to one of the houses, preventing flanking maneuvers, and he watched the blow as she shattered a man's hand, causing him to stagger back from the fight, leaving her only one to engage, _seven down._ She was doing well; Kenshin refocused his attention on his own battle.

The villagers were pouring out of their homes now, so it was time to move faster; _Can't let the bandits injure the farmers._ Kenshin engaged his last armed opponent, countering a _down-slashing headstrike_ , then performing Kamiya Kasshin's Hawatari to drop the man, _eight down,_ before a repeat Ryūtsuishōsen disabled another bandit and brought him back to Kaoru's side, _nine down._

Kaoru had just finished dislocating a man's shoulder, and Kenshin blinked in surprise at the three bandits shrieking at her feet, _ten down._ "Are you hurt?"

"Fine. You?"

He gave a sharp nod. "One more circled east." Kaoru ran to engage the straggler, and he turned back to the alley, taking three long strides forward to meet the last bandit there. The man was terrified after watching the others fall; he lunged forward, _unbalanced right foot,_ _clumsy_ , and Kenshin flowed aside, allowing the blade to pass him by as he swung his own blade, a low side-slash to the knee, _shattered kneecap, eleven down._ The man fell, screaming. Kenshin's _chiburi_ was automatic.

He turned and called out. "Kaoru-dono!" There was a horrific split second during which he couldn't _find_ _his wife,_ and then – _there she is._ His heart started beating again; she was behind the houses, hurtling towards the trees.

"Kenshin! He's running!"

 _But this one is faster_. He raced forward _: one more._ The man had a head start and was familiar with the territory. Kenshin eyes narrowed with focus; he would not let him get away. He caught up to the fleeing bandit at the man turned, his face stark white in the moonlight. Kenshin didn't stop, didn't slow, just raised his sword and flew towards him, the force of his blow knocking the man off of his feet and into the air, _broken ribs_. He struck his head on a nearby tree, _concussion, twelve down._ Kenshin took in a slow, even breath, sheathed the sakabatou, and turned to face the shocked village men now standing behind him in the fallow garden, all armed with farm tools.

"You should tie them up." His words triggered no movement; the men were silent, still pale and staring. He gentled his voice. "Iesada-dono? The bandits should be taken to Okabe-sensai, that they should."

Iesada jerked, as though he'd been startled awake, and then in his brisk, quiet way he got the other men to do precisely that.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru tugged at his sleeve, and he looked over at her; she seemed a little pale, herself.

"Kaoru-dono? Are you well?"

She licked her lips. "Kenshin, should we check the woods? To make sure that there aren't any more?"

Kaoru was still radiating battle tension, and he felt a pang of sympathy; those inexperienced with combat frequently had a hard time calming themselves after a battle. He already knew that there was no one else, the woods behind them were devoid of any human life, but a short walk might help calm his wife. In any case, the bandits needed to receive medical attention before they could be interrogated. "That might be a good idea, so it might."

Kenshin pitched his voice to carry. "Kaoru-dono and this one will do a circuit of the area to ensure there are no others; we will meet you at the shrine soon, so we will." The other men nodded and a few sketched a bow. He and Kaoru slipped out into the woods.

They walked for a steadily for almost ten minutes before she finally spoke, and when she did, her voice was quiet and strained. "Can you sense anyone, Kenshin? Are the villagers trying to follow us?"

Kenshin shook his head. "No, there is no one."

"Good," Kaoru said, and surged into him. Kenshin caught her reflexively. She pressed her mouth to his, hot and desperate, one hand tight in his hair and another pulling at his clothes.

 _Oh…_ He knew what this was. It was common with soldiers; they would go into the arms of a lover directly from a fight, or sneak away from the battlefield with each other. This was a release of tension, a purging of fear, a reaffirmation of life. Kenshin had personally never done such a thing; he'd never been interested in sex with a stranger after a battle.

Kaoru was not a stranger.

* * *

All of his thoughts burned away in the fire of Kaoru's needs, and suddenly his hands were in her hair and on her breasts and pulling at the knots in her clothes in a matching frenzy. Kaoru had gotten his hakama down and was gripping and pumping his cock through his underclothes. He let her go long enough to strip the cloth away and his fingers dove into the slits in her hakama and found her center, rubbing firm and fast in the way that he knew she needed. She was trying to get undressed without releasing his cock, and as her frustration rose, he moved to help her unfasten the knots. Her hakama off, _finally,_ he stripped her _kusari_ off of her and roughly pulled her kimono back and her bindings loose enough to access her collarbones and breasts. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, and his entire world was this woman, her taste on his lips, the smell of sweat and arousal, her hands and hair and mouth and skin.

 _The ground is muddy;_ the thought was like a far-away echo. Instead, he turned them to a nearby tree and bent his knees, pulling her legs around his hips. She followed his lead willingly, her hands in his hair as she pressed urgent kisses to his mouth and neck. Her back would be protected from the bark by her padded jacket, so he simply wrapped an arm under her hips and hoisted her upwards. It would've been easier if he had a little more height on her, but he didn't care at all; he pulled her hips _forward_ and _down_ and hissed in satisfaction at the feeling of that soaking wet heat surrounding him.

"Yes," Kaoru was moaning, loud and wild, pushing her hips into him as he began a wild rhythm. He bent his head to nip at her neck and collarbones, and she scratched burning trails up his back. The sting of pain in the midst of pleasure seemed to add to it all, and he gasped, shivering. Nothing mattered but this, this woman and this moment and the fire burning in their veins. Their little corner of forest was loud with it, the wet sound of flesh meeting flesh, his harsh breathing, and Kaoru – Kaoru moaning and gasping and demanding he go _harder_ and _faster_. Kenshin gave her what she wanted, pounding into her as fast as possible, until they were both slicked with sweat, but his wife was still arching and moaning and begging… He didn't know if he could last much longer, the pressure was incredible, and – Kaoru suddenly seized in his arms and squeezed him tight with arms and legs and sheath. It set off a chain reaction of fireworks under his skin and he groaned, using every last remaining shred of reason to pull out of her before he came, muscles bunched so tight that it almost hurt as he spasmed in her arms, raggedly pulling air into his burning lungs.

He came back to himself slowly, gathering the scattered pieces of his mind into a semblance of order. The forest was quiet again and he was leaning into Kaoru's soft curves and firm muscle, her legs locked around his waist to hold herself up, sweat cooling on their skin. He blinked rapidly a few times, before letting her down carefully.

* * *

Kaoru's hands came up to his cheeks and she pulled his face towards her, until they were nose to nose. "If you apologize for that I'm going to beat you. I basically attacked you! Besides, I feel better. Actually, I feel great." She grinned and stretched. "We should probably put our clothes on, though."

He laughed weakly, his body loose and relaxed, tension of any kind a distant memory. "Yes. Yes we probably should." He picked up their clothes and shook off some of the mud, handing over her pair of hakama with a slightly sheepish smile. She just grinned back at him, unrepentant and unashamed. Once redressed, she stepped up to him and kissed him sweetly, cradling his face in her palms.

Tired, and very muddy, they made it to the shrine at a little past three in the morning. There were still lights in nearly every window, and a rather large group of people was standing around the shrine. Kenshin's gut twisted when he saw the crowd and counted the impromptu weapons that they were still holding; he'd had many bad experiences with frightened and angry villagers.

"Kamiya-kun!" Hanari Iesada stepped out of the group. "Were you able to find any others?"

"No." Kenshin stopped, and Kaoru with him. Kenshin looked over the group carefully, and found… readiness, a tense readiness on nearly every face, but notably, _thankfully,_ a lack of the fear and rage that he had expected.

Iesada nodded. "Okabe-sensai is inside with the bandits," he said, and stepped aside. Kenshin nodded in acknowledgment as he and Kaoru moved forward towards the door of the priest's home.

Okabe looked up from his work of washing bloodied bandages. "Kamiya-kun, you two are certainly efficient."

"Ah, Okabe-sensai… where are the bandits?"

"In my bedroom, of all places." He wrung out a bandage and picked up another. "I would not allow blood like this in the shrine." Kenshin paled, and Kaoru opened her mouth to speak but the priest raised a wet hand. "No, no. I did not mean it that way. What was done had to be done, and you were both remarkably restrained, or the men out there would be digging graves right now. It is simple fact: I will not have twelve bleeding men on the floor of my shrine. I'll be cleaning the floor of my bedroom for a month as it is." He made eye contact, his expression serious and steady. "Thank you for having them all brought to me. The people here listen to me, so you have prevented those men's deaths twice this night." Kenshin nodded, relieved. He had been right, then, to send the villagers to the priest instead of the headman; Okabe had calmed and led, while Yaganita likely would have made things worse. "These are good people, mostly, but good people in large groups make foolish decisions," Okabe went on. "I've stabilized the bandits. You both truly did a fine job; barring infection, all should survive."

"Are any of them conscious, Okabe-sensai?" Kenshin asked.

"Yes, three of them. Six I have sedated because of the pain, and three are still unconscious, but their sleep does not appear to be dangerous at this time."

Kenshin nodded. "Then this one would like to speak to them, please."

Okabe rose and dried his hands. "No." Next to Kenshin, Kaoru stiffened, taking a deep breath while Kenshin's stomach tightened. Okabe spread his hands, palms up, in a gesture of peace. "First, you must speak to the people outside, Kenshin-kun. They are angry and restless and have nothing to do. That is a poor combination; you must give them a purpose, _any_ purpose."

Kenshin huffed out a relieved breath. "Yes, Okabe-sensai," he bowed. "That is very wise."

There was a familiar mischief in the other man's eyes. "Well, what are the old for, if not wisdom?"

Kenshin stepped carefully onto the porch, Kaoru at his shoulder, and looked at the pinched faces in the restless crowd. _A purpose,_ any _purpose…_

"This one is glad that all of you are already here." There was a general sense of intensity from the gathered men, and the restlessness settled into a kind of focused _stillness_ as Kenshin spoke; _Okabe-sensai is indeed wise…_ "First, someone must go alert the police." The crowd shifted and murmured in general agreement. "This one shall question the bandits, but there could be others still on the loose. You should organize both day and night watches, with everyone taking shifts, until it is certain that all the bandits have been caught. We do not know how many are still out there, and it will be up to you to protect this village."

"At least two men at a time," the farmer in green called out.

"No, three! Someone will need to raise an alarm if there's trouble!"

"We could get the boys to help with that."

"No! You can't bring children into a fight!"

"To raise an alarm, you fool! Give them a bell or something."

Kenshin raised a hand and the group settled down a little. "Perhaps you should elect someone to organize?"

The headman stepped out of the crowd. "That is my task, I believe." He resembled nothing so much as a toad, puffed up with importance. Kenshin felt his wife's hand, hidden from view against the small of his back, silently cautioning him to stop the headman from interfering.

Kenshin smiled a perfect rurouni smile. "Ah, this one is certain that you have so _many_ important tasks, Yaganita-dono. Surely such a small and boring thing as watch shift rotations could be handled by one of these men?" If the headman said that he wasn't busy, then why wasn't he? And if he said that the other men were incapable of a 'small and boring thing,' then he would have collectively insulted every man in the village.

Yaganita sputtered. "Well… it can be quite complicated! I would be- I mean, I'm the headman, I should-"

"Yaganita-san." One of the farmers stepped forward. Kenshin had recognized him from the party: quiet and intelligent looking, he moved with an air of confidence. "Kamiya-san is right; you should take care of more important things. Surely even poor farmers can handle something so simple as a village watch." The headman's face turned red.

Next to Kenshin, Kaoru spoke up for the first time. "The current watchman can take the first shift; they're experienced!" A general murmur of agreement met her suggestion, and Kenshin internally laughed at his wife's cleverness; cutting those two men out of the rest of the planning was all to the good. The gathered villagers began to disperse, going off to discuss schedules and plans, while Kenshin and Kaoru excused themselves back into Okabe's living quarters.

Okabe was waiting. "That was a good idea, young man. I've two men guarding the bandits; we can bring them out now, if you wish."

Kenshin nodded. Regretfully, he banished the last remnants of loose relaxation left over from the woods, loosening the restraints of his _ki_. He allowed it to flow free, let it fill the room until even the the most insensitive person should be able to feel it brush against their consciousness. Then he fired it with his anger, pulled from deep in his center, until the air itself was thick with it. He shifted into an imposing stance, discarding the gentle and non-threatening posture he normally wore. Next to him, he could feel Kaoru react to the rapid change, standing up straighter and shifting somewhat behind him, covering his back. He stored that information away to be pleased with later; it would not serve him to be besotted when he was supposed to be intimidating.

A burly young man, dressed in a kimono that had been tied over a sleeping robe, pulled and pushed the three conscious bandits into the room. He turned to face Kenshin and paled, taking a step backwards; Okabe paused in the doorway to his bedroom where he had been about to follow the farmer into the main room.

"Eh, thank you, Atsuki-kun, but I believe that Kenshin-kun can ensure that these men behave themselves." Okabe moved aside and let other man retreat back into the bedroom.

Kenshin stood silently for a few moments, allowing the injured bandits to worry and sweat. "You are thieves."

"It was only food!"

Kenshin unfurled a bit more of his angry energy, causing the bandits to lean away as one. "You are all able-bodied men, capable of working; these are honest people, people with children, who worked for that food that you stole… How many more of you are there?"

"I- we- what are you going to do?"

Kenshin clicked the sakabatou free of its sheath. "The police will be here soon. Perhaps this one should save them the trouble." He took half a step forward.

"No!" The one in the middle began to squirm backwards. "No! There aren't any others, just us."

"Why target this village? Why camp here?" Another small step.

"I don't know! We just do what the boss says!"

"...Where is your camp?"

Kenshin questioned them thoroughly, carefully maintaining their level of fear to ensure compliance. When he was certain that they could tell him nothing more of value, he gestured for Okabe to take them back to the others.

Kaoru waited until the men were gone, then turned to him. "Kenshin?"

"Yes, we'll go. Okabe-sensai? Please, would you have some of the villagers follow in thirty minutes? In case there _are_ more waiting."

"Of course." Okabe's face was calm and composed. "First; when did you two last eat?" Seemingly from nowhere, the priest pulled out a few travel rations and a water flask, and bullied them into taking them.

.

.

.


	13. Chapter 13

Yay, new chapter! Thank you, as always to Animanical, my wonderful beta

(Important RK fandom PSA at the end of the chapter.)

* * *

 _"Yes, we'll go. Okabe-sensai? Please, would you have some of the villagers follow in thirty minutes? In case there are more waiting."_

 _"Of course." Okabe's face was calm and composed. "First; when did you two last eat?" Seemingly from nowhere, the priest pulled out a few travel rations and a water flask, and bullied them into taking them._

* * *

Kenshin set the pace at an easy jog, keeping in the mind the terrain, the lack of light, and the need to not fatigue Kaoru any more than necessary. He kept his senses strained to the fullest as they ran, searching for any human presence. Fortunately, the bandit's directions were good and the landmarks clear enough. At one point Kenshin almost lost the trail, and it was with relief that he spotted the last landmark: a tree with three slashes cut in the side.

He kept his voice low. "Kaoru-dono, stay close." The trees cast friendly shadows, long and deep, keeping him and his wife as concealed as possible as they crept forward. The bandit's den lay in a natural blind, set within a ragged cliff face large enough for a crude structure that could charitably be called a house. He stopped some distance from the entrance and raised a hand to halt Kaoru; listening carefully, he tried to read the area for signs of human life, but there were none, neither in the surrounding forest nor in the building itself. He opened the door and was greeted with silence and darkness.

The strike of the match seemed loud as he lit the lamp. The house contained a single, large room, but little had been done to it. There were scattered bedrolls, the remains of a fire, and the general filth of people who cared little for their surroundings. He counted the bedrolls: twelve. _Good._

"Kenshin, look! Oh, I'm so glad!" Towards the back of the room was a neatly organized cache of food. Not nearly as much as had been stolen – much of which had presumably been eaten – but there still a significant amount to be recovered. "

"That is a very good thing, so it is." Kaoru smiled brightly and began sorting through the items while Kenshin searched through the rest of the bandits' belongings. There were odds and ends, a small amount of money, sets of dirty clothing... all which indicated that the bandits were nothing more than average thugs. Kenshin located a small diary, filled with cramped but surprisingly neat writing that detailed the dates of their raids, and what appeared an account of the distribution of the items among the twelve men. When the 'boss' woke up, he would need to be questioned as well, but it seemed that this was exactly what it had appeared. Kenshin rose, tucking the diary into a sleeve. "Kaoru, we may as well eat while we wait, so we should."

An hour later, the villagers arrived, having obviously chosen not the run the entire route. It didn't take long for the food and other useful things to be distributed among the dozen men that had come, and clearly there was more than a little relief that there weren't any unconscious bodies to carry back to the village.

A quick check with Okabe revealed that the bandits' leader was still unconscious, so they went back to the Hanari's home.

Mayako met them at the door with a bundle of clean clothes. "Well, there you are, Kenshin-kun, Kaoru-san! It's nearly dawn! Come on, then." She bustled out the door and turned north on the road.

"Oro?"

Mayako's words were lightly scolding. "The two of you are filthy; mud and blood and who knows what else! The men prepared the bath for you; you two will go first, and then everyone else." She ended her tirade with a smile.

A real bath… They'd only sketchily scrubbed themselves a for over a week now – a proper soak sounded like bliss. Mayako lead them up the road until they almost reached the headman's house, stopping in front of the large bath. It was obviously designed to be a communal bath; the effort required to fill and heat it would be enormous, and it was likely used only once a week or so; the offer of a bath for him and Kaoru was a very nice gesture on the part of the village. Mayako smiled, shooed them inside, and bustled away.

"Kenshin? I'm going to soak until my toes prune." Kaoru said, and he nodded in response while reaching for the rinse bucket. When he was scrubbed clean, he dipped a toe into the water, hissing at the heat. He glanced up through his bangs at his wife, already immersed up to her neck and biting her lips in an effort not to laugh.

"Not everyone appreciates water as hot as you do, Kaoru." There was a good reason that Kaoru usually took her baths first, while it was at its hottest, and he bathed second, incidentally after it had cooled to a more reasonable temperature. He eased in up to his knees.

"...Of course." Her voice was quivering. He made his way to her side and sat carefully beside her, focusing on relaxing his tense muscles. She occupied herself by wiggling her toes and flicking her fingers, watching the water droplets fly. Kenshin smiled, watching her in her silly mood.

She settled against his shoulder. "I miss having a bath everyday." He hummed, settling an arm around her and pulling her snugly into his side. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the heat to seep into his bones and listening to the pleasant sound of comfortable silence.

She wiggled against his side. "What do you miss?"

He refused to open his eyes, and firmly repressed the smile that wanted to escape; Kaoru was feeling chatty apparently... "This one misses doing the laundry." He couldn't stop the corners of his lips from curling.

"Kenshin!"

"This one is being quite serious! The laundry is very soothing, so it is."

" _Kenshin_!" He squirmed away from her questing fingers, blocking her attempts to pinch him but refusing to let her go. She kept trying, and Kenshin kept allowing her just enough freedom to tempt her, until she overbalanced and dunked them both beneath the water. He quickly pulled them up to the surface and waited for Kaoru's reaction… which was laughter, thankfully. His own smile spread into a grin, watching her laugh, all flushed skin and shining eyes.

"Hopeless man!" She moved completely into this arms and cuddled close, nearly in his lap. Neither spoke for several minutes.

"This one misses our ceiling."

"Eh?" Kaoru shifted, turning her face towards him; her eyelashes tickled his neck **.**

"The ceiling of our bedroom," he clarified. "This one misses lying next to you and Kenji-chan in the dark, and looking at our ceiling, that I do."

"You know, you're supposed to be _sleeping_ at night."

"Aa." He stroked her back, her skin soft and smooth under his fingertips. When they had married, he'd been surprised when she moved into his bedroom. Later on, when there had been the time for quiet questions in the dark, he had asked her why: she had haltingly explained that her own bedroom was that of her childhood, while the one she had given him had been her parents' room **.** Kaoru would never know how he treasured remaining in that corner room; the familiar comfort of his room and his bed, shared with his wife in their home. They both knew that he slept far less than she did, but that fact did not make his time in their bed any less restful; that friendly ceiling, the familiar lines and planks of it, was home for Kenshin in a profound way.

"I miss the dojo. The feel of the wood under my feet, the way it looks and the way it smells."

"This one misses the wind chime on the porch."

"I miss your cooking."

Kenshin laid his head back against the wall again. Kaoru would never have any idea how much he relished the experience of being _homesick._ "This misses _doing_ the cooking."

"...I miss Kenji."

He squeezed her tight. "Me too."

Some time later, when their fingers began to wrinkle, Kaoru peeled herself away, her earlier wistfulness a memory, her gaze direct and strong again. "So, what do we do next, then?"

"First, we need to sleep, then… We shall tie up some loose ends, so we shall.

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Kenshin's eyes flew open at the gentle knocking on the shoji. "Hello?"

"Kenshin-kun, it's early afternoon. Awake with you, young man, Okabe-sensai's asking for you."

Kenshin scrubbed a hand across gritty eyes and gently shook Kaoru's shoulder. "Kaoru?" She hummed and wrinkled her nose, eyes stubbornly closed. He smiled. "This one needs to visit Okabe-sensai." She rolled over and flung a leg over his hips, and his smile broadened. He shook her gently.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Early afternoon, apparently."

She squeezed him briefly and sighed. "Well, let's go."

Kenshin shook his head. "There is no need, Kaoru, that there isn't. This one is merely going to go see what Okabe-sensai needs. If anything more than some further interrogation needs doing, then this one will come fetch you, that I will." He brushed back her bangs and leaned over to kiss her.

Kaoru kissed him sweetly, and her smile was soft as he pulled away. "Kenshin?" Suddenly, her voice was steel.

"Oro?!"

"If you think I'm letting you leave me here, you have lost your mind."

In the end, it didn't take long for the two of them to dress and walk across the tiny village. Okabe waiting for them on the porch. "Good afternoon, Okabe-sensai."

"Good afternoon." The priest looked tired but his voice was as clear as ever. "The "boss" is awake. And shrieking at us, I might add."

"Ah, well," Kenshin stepped up onto the porch. "This one had better question him, then, that one should."

The bandit leader merely confirmed Kenshin's findings; they were a group of former samurai, disenfranchised and disinterested in honest work. _Disgusting_ _ **.**_ He let himself back outside and seated himself next to the priest. He politely took the cup of tea the other man offered him, and smiled as he watched his wife. She had become involved in a game with a couple of the village toddlers, and they were currently playing next to the shrine's garden.

"Anything worth knowing?" Okabe asked.

Kenshin smiled gently in the face of the priest's fatigue. "No, Okabe-sensai, the man had nothing interesting to say."

Okabe merely grunted. "I'll be glad to see the back side of this whole affair."

Kenshin nodded. The men sat in silence for several minutes, enjoying the sunshine and a blessed lack of wind. Abruptly, Okabe spoke. "It's too much to ask, I suppose, for you to have been in the Boshin war, but not in the Bakumatsu?" Kenshin looked over in surprise; Okabe just shook his head, a tiny, sad smile on his face. "The Bakumatsu, then. It's just that – you must have been no more than seventeen."

Kenshin looked out into the yard; Kaoru was juggling three small stones and the little ones were giggling. "This one was fourteen." He heard the priest suck in a breath through his teeth, and then they simply sat, watching the game and the garden, listening to the windchime.

"When will you and Kaoru-san be leaving, then?"

"Soon. This one plans to visit my sister first, that I do." The words felt large in his mouth. Kaoru left the children, waving at the two of them on the porch, and walked in their direction. She was lovely in the spring sunshine.

Okabe smiled briefly, and when he spoke his voice was quiet and sober. "...Before you leave, you might consider visiting Hirotaka-san as well."

"...Ah." His chest tightened. He'd wondered if the man was still alive.

Kaoru stepped daintily onto the porch and smiled brightly as Okabe poured her tea. "Did you find out anything interesting, Kenshin?"

"Merely ordinary bandits, that they are."

She sighed. "I'd hoped it was the headman behind it all." Okabe coughed around his drink, and Kenshin obligingly thumped him on the back. "He's a horrible man. It would be nice to have a reason to get rid of him." She sipped her tea, as though she had said nothing of consequence.

Okabe wheezed the tea from his lungs. "He is a rather unpleasant character, but it could be far worse, Kaoru-san."

"How? He's awful! And the way he treats his wife!"

Okabe frowned. "His treatment of Noriko-san is reprehensible, it's true. Their marriage is… unfortunate. Yaganita-san's father was a good headman, sensible and kind. He was the headman here for over forty years, and Yaganita Daiki… He chafed at the wait, growing increasingly discontent. His father tried to teach him; he actually arranged Daiki-san's marriage in hopes of redirecting his energies… But Noriko-san's parents were blinded by money and status; they married their daughter to him against her will, and she has always openly hated her husband."

Kaoru appeared to have a twitch in her left eye. "The way he treats her! It's… reprehensible!"

"It is," Okabe said. "It certainly is. Noriko-san has some small revenge, the only one an angry wife may; his home is smoky, his meals burnt, and, of course, she has never borne him a child. He actually hit her once; I recall seeing the black eye. I also recall that he suffered a nearly lethal poisoning from wisteria soon after. I do not believe that he has struck her since."

Kaoru lowered her cup. "Oh. Well. That's good I suppose, but still."

"But still." Okabe nodded, then sighed. "He is useless as a headman, as well. But as a money lender, he is rather good."

"Ah," Kenshin said, and Kaoru looked over, confused. "It is common in a small village for the headman to lend money, that it is."

"And thus he holds the villagers' debts, yes, you are correct," said Okabe.

"The you _can't_ get rid of him!" Kaoru was outraged. "You are just… stuck with him?"

Okabe smiled gently. "His interest rates are lower than those in the cities. And he has no son to inherit his markers, so there is relief in site. It is a better situation than many."

"But… his wife – he's still an awful man."

He offered Kaoru a rueful smile. "Life is often messy, young woman, and is seldom what we wish it to be… I have some small sway in matters of children; children here are raised rather communally. In matters of marriage, however, there is nothing that I can do."

Kenshin sipped his tea. _There is, however, something that_ this one _can do…_

"What about those two "guards" of his? They're awful too."

Okabe's smile turned just a little malicious. "Ah, well, those two have tipped their hands, so to speak. No family will agree to give them a daughter now! They'll eventually find the village such an unfriendly place that they'll leave, and we'll be well rid of them." Finally, Okabe set his empty teacup aside and clapped a hand on Kenshin's shoulder. "Time to get to work!" Kenshin smiled, set his teacup aside, and followed the spry old man to his vegetable patch.

Two hours later, Kenshin smiled at his wife as she paced at his side, a happy bounce in her step. She waved to several of the village women as they passed, and smiled at the laughing, racing children that crossed their path. She had half-gardened and half-played with the children as he and Okabe worked, and it had lightened his heart to watch her.

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin said, as Kaoru straightened from a polite bow to one of their many new cousins. "After dinner, this one needs to pay a visit." Kaoru tilted her head to the side the way that he loved, the way that made her look like a little bird. "This one… this one's uncle is still alive, that he is."

Kaoru stopped walking. "That - _that_ uncle?"

"Aa." Kenshin nodded, continuing to walk toward the Hanari's home. "This one thinks that it would be… a good thing, that I do." She hurried through the two steps to catch him, bumping gently into his side and tangling her fingers in his sleeve. She walked quite close to him the rest of the way back.

Dinner was over far sooner than Kenshin would have liked, and then they walked just seven houses down before they arrived at the home of his uncle, Hirotaka. A pretty woman dressed in red answered his polite call. Her large dark eyes were dismayed as she took in their appearance, but she bowed and murmured a polite greeting.

"Pardon me, but this one wonders if this is the home of a man named Hirotaka?"

"...Please, come in." She led the way into the home, nearly identical to every other in the village. The main room was neatly kept, with a-middle aged man was playing on the floor with several children, aged from nearly grown to the youngest who couldn't have been older than six. The man was dark haired, with strikingly bright blue eyes, a sharp chin and a short stature. He looked up from the wrestling game, an easy smile on his face that froze then shattered once he spotted them. He straightened, curling his legs underneath himself and into seiza, his back straight and stiff.

"Jun, take your sisters and go play elsewhere." The eldest boy shot Kenshin a nervous glance and herded the three younger children into another room. "Please sit." They all settled themselves around the hearth. The man took a deep breath. "I am Tayama Masuyo and this is my wife, Aimi… and you are my cousin." Kenshin gave a tiny acknowledging bow. "You are here to see my father?" The question was challenging.

Kenshin remained calm. "Yes."

His cousin's mouth pressed into a thin line. "You have no good reason to be here. That was all years ago! And -" His wife, Aimi, had leaned forward and rested a hand on his arm.

She looked over at Kenshin, and her eyes were compassionate. "Kamiya-san, I do not think that you will be able to find what you're looking for here."

"This is one is not really looking for anything. Truly, this one only wishes to see him, that I do."

Masuyo shifted and opened his mouth to speak, but Aimi preempted him. "Kamiya-san, you have every right to do so; however, my father-in-law is no longer well. Today is not a good day for him. You must not upset him, please."

Kaoru leaned towards him unconsciously, and Kenshin appreciated her silent offer of support. Masuyo fisted his hands on his thighs, but said nothing. After a beat, Aimi lead them to a back room and quietly opened the shoji. Inside was… an old man. He was about Manami's age, quite thin in the way of elders who don't eat properly, and his hair was completely white. He was weaving something from dried grasses and did not look up at their entrance. Aimi stepped into the room and moved aside, to avoid impairing their view. "Father?" Hirotaka looked up. "You have guests." He looked them all over, his blue eyes watery and vague. There was no spark of recognition.

Kenshin's shoulders relaxed. "What are you making?" He kept his tone gentle.

Hirotaka looked at the item in his hands. "A doll," he said. "They… the girls, they like dolls." He held it up, and Kenshin could see that it was, indeed, a doll taking shape. "The... the littlest one, the girl - she wants a doll with a red dress."

"It's very nice," Kaoru's voice was also gentle, and her hand fluttered to the back of Kenshin's shoulder as she stepped even closer to him, her concern nearly palpable. But… it was okay. Sitting there was the man that had sold Kenshin as a child, had sold him into a life of hardship and servitude and likely rape; Hirotaka had sold a child, and was now sitting in a quiet, neat room weaving dolls. Kenshin would now never know what had possessed the man to do it, if it was envy or greed or hate – but in the end, did it matter?

What did it matter, why this man had done what he had done? It was in the past, gone and settled, and what had happened, happened, and it had nothing to do with the present. Kenshin was a husband, a father, a friend, and now a cousin and a brother. Kenshin looked him over again, carefully noted his appearance: he was neat and clean, his clothes well repaired; the room was warm and comfortable, well lit. This man was no monster lurking in the dark, just a man; whatever had once passed between them, this man was vulnerable and fragile now. He seemed to be well cared for. "This one is certain that it will be a very nice doll, that I am."

Hirotaka offered him a vague smile, his gaze unfocused and mind obviously drifting again. He looked down at the doll and resumed his weaving, his trembling fingers only mildly impeding his task.

Aimi stepped forward and gently touched the man's snow white hair. "Father, if you should need me, remember that I am only a call away." He nodded acknowledgement, clearly engrossed in his weaving. Aimi quietly led them out of the room, shutting the shoji behind them. Her voice was kind. "I am sorry, Kamiya-san, that he cannot give you what you seek. And please, forgive my husband. He wishes only to protect an old man."

"Of course, Tamaya-dono. Thank you for indulging me." Aimi smiled and bowed, and led them to the front door.

Outside, Kaoru turned to him, her eyes large and worried, but Kenshin merely smiled for her. "Are you alright?" she whispered.

"Aa, this one is fine." She looked suspicious but Kenshin was unsure how to explain. He was better than fine; a long-chained part of him had been set _free_.

* * *

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Hello, Beautiful RK fandom on FFnet. **RK week is going to kick off on May 14th and run until May 20th!**

We're planning: the 10 best anime eps marathon stream, half on Saturday and on Sunday)Tarazuka stream (hopefully), We're going to go for all 3 live action streamed, Crack fic challenges, funny manga edits, a caption challenge, Trivia game with prizes, card giftings, Round robins, Fic exchange, mood boards, and more.

Also, for the first time in YEARS, we're going to have

 **RK fanfic awards!** Here's the link:  broomclosetkinkDOTpolldaddyDOTcom/s/2017-rurouni-kenshin-fanfic-awards

This is all happening on Tumblr. So, how to see it all happen/participate?

If you're on tumblr, my user name is MysteriouslySaltyTradegy, you can follow me, or just follow #RK party

If you're not on Tumblr you can create an account, no need to get fancy if you're just there to soak up the fun, and follow me there.

Lots of great authors and RK communities on Tumblr, it's a lot of fun. Hope to see you there!


	14. Chapter 14

First off, so sorry for the tardy update! Both me _and_ my beta reader got new jobs in the last 8 weeks, and wow, will that slow a person down. This chapter... well. It's done. I can't bear to look at it anymore, my eyes are crossing, so I'm posting it. I'm posting it, before I select all and press delete, then burn my laptop.

Thank you, as always, to all of my reviewers, it means so much to me to know that you're out there reading.

(Sex in this chapter, separated with a line break.)

* * *

 _Outside, Kaoru turned to him, her eyes large and worried but Kenshin merely smiled for her. "Are you alright?" She whispered._

" _Aa, this one is fine." She still looked concerned but Kenshin was unsure how to explain. He was better than_ fine _; it was as though some long chained part of him had been set free._

* * *

Iesada and Mayako were waiting for them in the main room of their home, trying very hard to look if though they weren't waiting. Mayako was obviously worried as she opened the shoji, hen-like as she fussed and clucked and fluttered around them, shooing them to sit on cushions by the table and forcing tea into their hands. Iesada showed his worry without saying a word, through sympathetic eyes. Kaoru merely radiated quiet concern. Kenshin had to strangle the strange urge to laugh; their concern was genuine and well-intentioned, and he would not belittle that. Instead he smiled and nodded, and responded to Mayako and Kaoru's small talk. Keeping his expression gentle, his posture relaxed, he watched with relief as slowly their worry began to fade. He didn't want them to worry when he felt so very _good._

Later, as he and Kaoru were getting ready for bed, she still sent him sidelong glances as she braided her hair – eventually he simply couldn't take it anymore. She squeaked in surprise as he put his arms around her waist and pulled her into their bed underneath him.

"This one is fine, Kaoru, please stop worrying."

She threaded her fingers into his hair. "Really?"

"Yes, that I am." Kaoru's eyes searched his, and he was patient, keeping his gaze even and open, willing her to see the truth of it.

She sighed. "I'm glad." He smiled, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose, before settling onto his side, curling around his wife's slightly smaller form. She made a small, happy noise and snuggled backward into his arms. Once they were settled around one another, Kenshin fell asleep, warm and content, with Kaoru's soap-and-flowers scent filling his dreams.

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Kenshin's eyes flew open, before blinking at the grey pre-dawn light of not-home. He stayed still, taking stock of his surroundings, and regretfully concluded that his left arm had gone numb – Kaoru was using it like a pillow, and her hand was wrapped around his forearm. He shifted, trying to carefully extricate himself without waking his wife. Once successful, he shook out his numb limb until it was full of painful needles, tucked the covers around his still slumbering wife, and rose to dress.

Their hostess was cooking when he entered the kitchen. "Good morning, Mayako-dono."

"Good morning! You're up early." Her smile brought extra lines to the corners of her eyes. She pushed forward a cup of tea; Kenshin hummed in agreement, and for a moment simply drank his tea and watched her work.

"Can this one be of assistance?" He set aside his cup and began tying back his sleeves. Mayako blinked at him in surprise, but didn't refuse. He smiled gently and reached for a knife, edging into position in front of the soup pot. They worked quietly for a time, and the familiar routine still felt good, even if it wasn't in his own kitchen.

"Kenshin-kun, you're quite a cook, eh?"

"This one has had a lot of practice, that I have." _The soup needs something…_

"Kaoru-san doesn't cook?"

He shook his head, adding seasonings to the simmering pot. "Not very often, that she doesn't. My wife teaches."

Mayako raised her eyebrows. "She teaches and you cook?"

"Aa." _Maybe a little bit more miso? Ah, it's better now._

"Does she like to teach?" Kenshin hummed in confirmation, and re-tasted the soup. _Perfect._

Mayako reached forward and touched his arm. Kenshin looked over at her, blinking away thoughts of breakfast. "Oro?"

"I'm glad." She smiled widely. "I talk too much, I always have, but Iesada doesn't talk _enough_ , and in that way we just _fit._ You –- you were so little when you left, and I thought – well, I worried for one of ours, all alone out there. But you've found a good fit, and that's… Well." She patted his arm. "Never mind. I think we're ready here. I'll go call Iesada in from the garden. You go get your woman."

Kenshin smiled at her back as she bustled away, warmed by her affection, and once she was gone, he quickly added a bit more salt to the rice, before going to wake his wife.

Kaoru blinked awake slowly, her blue eyes cloudy, then she wrinkled her nose in distaste and rolled over. "No."

He tried not to smile. "Yes."

"Kenshiiin, no…"

"Yes, Kaoru," he coaxed, but she just burrowed further under the covers. "There is breakfast, that there is."

"...What kind of breakfast?" asked the blanket lump that was his beloved wife.

"This one helped to make it-"

Kaoru sat up abruptly and tossed the covers aside. "Well, then, let' _s go!"_ Kenshin laughed, waited with her as she dressed and combed out her glossy hair, then followed her to the dining room and sat by her side on a comfortable cushion. He ate and listened to Mayako's small talk, observed Iesada's quiet, serious face, and watched his wife slowly finish waking up through the first half of the meal. This was neither his house nor his family, but still, it was very nice.

"Will you two be leaving soon, then?"

"Aa, Mayako-dono. This one was planning to leave tomorrow; first, though, we must ensure that all of our clothing is clean, and purchase some travel food, that we must."

Mayako nodded. "We'll get all of your things in the wash straight away, then. One nice thing about the wind is that the wash dries quickly! And travel food, I can whip that up today, certainly."

"That's very nice, Mayako-san." Kaoru's eyes were clear now, and her teacup was empty, something Kenshin quickly remedied, and he was rewarded with her bright smile.

Their hostess waved a hand. "Pfft. The work of a single morning! It's my pleasure."

"We will help, of course, Mayako-dono."

The small woman drew herself up to her full height, back stiffening. "You two will do no such thing! You'll have to go visit Okabe-sensai this morning, and then come back here for lunch."

"Oh, but-"

"Shoo!" she said, and Kenshin found himself out on the street without quite knowing how it had been accomplished.

"Oro?"

"How does she _do_ that?!" Kaoru's eyes were laughing. "Do you think that Mayako-san would teach me how? I could use it on Yahiko…" He felt the corners of his lips twitching, but merely shook his head silently, and turned them towards the shrine.

The neat little shrine was only a few minutes away, and it was not surprising that Okabe wasn't outside; at this time of the morning, he was likely working inside. He answered their polite call and they stepped into the priest's living room.

Okabe released the ties on his sleeves. "Good morning! Let me start the water to boil, eh?"

"Good morning, Okabe-sensai; that would be very nice, thank you," Kenshin said, seating himself where Okabe had indicated, then smiling internally as Kaoru seated herself to his left. She always moved more elegantly than she thought she did – she sank onto the cushion with grace, her posture attractive if not traditionally feminine. Dressed in hakama, she still sat as a woman, but the firm, straight lines of her proclaimed her sword training. Okabe returned with a tea tray laden with goods, and Kenshin took that first quiet sip with reverence. They made small talk for several minutes, the priest clearly edging around some question that he wished to ask.

"Will you two be leaving soon, then?"

"Aa, tomorrow, that we shall."

Okabe nodded. "It's to be expected, of course. You have a life and a son waiting for you." Kenshin nodded, smiling gently. "Well. I have a small thing for you then." The priest produced a small, neatly wrapped package and presented it carefully.

Kenshin blinked in surprise. "Oro?"

His wife came to his rescue. "Oh, no, we couldn't, there's no need."

"Yes, yes. You must, go on."

Kenshin found his tongue. "You're too kind to us, Okabe-sensai, we could not possibly accept this gift." The priest only smiled at the ritual refusal and offered a third time, a twinkle lighting his eyes as Kenshin tucked the small object away. The rest of the visit progressed pleasantly. Okabe was pleased to learn that they visited Kyoto annually – Kenshin promised to visit next spring.

They returned to the Hanari home just before ten in the morning. Kenshin smiled at the sight of his and Kaoru's clothing already drying on the poles; Mayako had been quite busy. He opened the door and was instantly struck by the scent of freshly baked sweets: many, many sweets. The main room had been drastically rearranged, as though for a party. _Oh no…_

He filled his voice with questions. "Mayako-dono?"

Mayako popped out from another room, her sleeves back, an apron on and her cheeks flushed. "Kenshin-kun, Kaoru-san; It's about time you were back!" Her smile was bright and excited.

"Mayako-dono, this -"

"No time!" She waved him to silence in her normal, friendly way. "Kaoru-san, come on then, I need to get you changed."

"But.. Mayako-san, what are -"

"No, no, there's no time." The petite woman somehow herded Kaoru into a bedroom in no time at all, protests notwithstanding. Kenshin nearly sighed, watching until the women were out of sight.

Iesada came through the front door, carrying two teapots. _They're borrowing teapots!?_ Kenshin was careful not to moan. _Was the first party not enough?_ Iesada looked him over briefly and smiled, quietly patting Kenshin's shoulder as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Iesada-dono, this one must complete a small errand, so I must," Kenshin said, and Iesada hummed quietly. "This one will return shortly." It was only sensible to do this now, while Kaoru was otherwise occupied. Bowing politely, he slipped out the front shoji and hurried the eleven houses east to where the headman lived.

He was careful to project a gentle aura as he knocked on the door. The headman's seemingly meek wife answered his call, and with barely time for a "pardon" from him, she led him to her husband. The man was again seated in an overly-warm room, but this time he appeared to be frowning into a record book. It was refreshing to see him doing his duty. Kenshin seated himself and placed the sakabatou beside him.

"You didn't kill them." Yaganita said, not looking up from his book.

Kenshin was careful to keep a neutral expression. "No, this one did not."

"I hired you to kill them."

"This one does not kill."

Yaganita finally tossed the book aside and glared at him. "It's a damned nuisance! I've got to feed, water and guard them. I've got to send two able men to fetch the police!"

"That is no reason to kill them, that it isn't."

"No reason!" The man's face was turning red. "Didn't I just give you the reasons? It's expensive, is what it is! If I killed them _now_ it would be illegal. You were supposed to kill them in a fight, nice and clean, no fuss." At this point in his tirade, Kenshin began to fill with a cold anger. "I _hired_ you to _kill_ them."

"This one does not kill."

The headman's beady, unpleasant little eyes were nearly happy. "I refuse to pay for a half-done job!"

 _Ah._ The anger clawing at his throat began to recede. _He is only looking for a reason to avoid payment._ The man was crass to discuss a man's life in such a manner, but at least it was only an act.

"That is fine, so it is." Yaganita's face slackened; he'd been expecting an argument.

"Yaganita-dono, this one would greatly appreciate a cup of water, that I would." He smiled gently as the woman's forehead delicately creased in surprise. She bowed, murmuring something presumably polite, and excused herself from the room. Yaganita watched him warily.

As the shoji slid closed, Kenshin dropped his gentle posture, allowing threat to fill the air. "We have things to discuss; perhaps you are not aware, but this one visits this area each year." Sweat beaded the other man's forehead and his breathing accelerated. Satisfaction curled in Kenshin's gut, and he leaned forward.

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"Raise your arms."

Kaoru obediently lifted her arms and watched Mayako circle around her, fussing with the lines of the obi. She had tried objecting earlier, but it had been more than useless – any more risked hurting the woman's feelings.

"Turn a little." Mayako said, and Kaoru turned, her arms still in the air, listening to her hostess cluck disapprovingly. "There's no use. We'll just have to take the obi off and adjust the padding. Sorry, dear, but there's nothing for it." Mayako had given her what was likely her nicest kimono, in a pretty blush pink color, and Kaoru _would not_ complain about the woman's fussing.

"Mayako-san, is there a party today?"

"Mmm? Oh, no, not really." She tugged the padding into place and turned Kaoru around to begin wrapping the obi again. "I _might_ have mentioned to Atsumi-san next door that you two were leaving, and that Kenshin-kun wasn't going to accept payment for routing those bandits. Now then. What should we do with your hair?"

.

.

.

Kenshin quietly squared his shoulders before stepping onto the Hanari's porch. Another party was not the end of the world, and if Iesada and Mayako wished to throw one, then he would endure it with good humor. Kaoru was waiting with their hosts in the main room, dressed in a pretty pink kimono with a nicely contrasting yellow stripe obi.

She stepped forward and plucked his sleeve. "Kenshin, you should get dressed," she said, and he smothered the urge to sigh again. He followed her to their room and obediently changed into a clean pair of white hakama and his blue kimono. He couldn't help but smile when Kaoru wrinkled her nose and began tugging at his collar, dragging it further up his chest until it lay neatly, her small hands warm as they ran over his chest.

"You need to look _nice_. Not only are you related to most of the people here, but we're leaving in the morning, and Mayako-san let slip that we weren't accepting payment for getting rid of the bandits." _Oh. Not a party, then._ A party would have actually been _better;_ he had an inkling of what was coming and it would be… tiring. He obediently followed Kaoru back to the main room, resisting the urge to grab her and run while no one was looking.

Mayako smiled broadly. "Well, aren't you two a nice-looking couple! Although... Kenshin-kun, here, let this old woman help," and then she proceeded to smooth his hair as though he was a small, rowdy boy instead of an adult. Her hands were gentle, and her affectionate fussing made him smile. "There now, you look a proper young a seat, and I'll fetch the tea." Mayako bustled away and as he seated himself, he stole a glance at Kaoru. She was biting her lips the way she did when she was trying not to smile. He shook his head and turned to Iesada. The other man read the question in his eyes and in turn offered him a sweet bun; that was probably not a good sign.

The first visitors arrived not fifteen minutes later; apparently the village's mysterious communication network was functioning well. Iesada quietly showed the two men (one a third cousin and one a second) to the table and a beaming Mayako poured tea for them throughout the small talk. Kenshin was mostly quiet, trying to appear friendly without being overly casual, doing his best to fulfill the role expected of him.

Sure enough, after dancing around the subject for several minutes, second cousin Yuu produced a small package and presented it politely. "We're all very grateful that you got rid of those bandits, Kamiya-san. This is just a small, unimportant thing, but please accept it from us." Kenshin refused with equal politeness, twice, because that seemed safe, and then carefully took the package and tucked it away. The two men left with relieved smiles and polite bows.

The moment Iesada closed the shoji, Mayako jumped to her feet, snatching up the visitors' teacups. "I haven't got enough cups, even with those I borrowed. Hopefully there'll be enough time between visits to get them washed." She flew to the sink and scrubbed, huffing back into place just as another greeting was called from outside. She was all smiles as Iesada showed another pair of villagers to the table.

The afternoon stretched long. Mayako bustled and beamed and hovered, playing the hostess for over forty visits, made up of couples and pairs and a few small families. Kenshin drank enough tea to drown in. He smiled and refused gifts until he could have recited the words in his sleep. The only visits he honestly enjoyed were with from the men with whom he'd been friendly at the welcome party, and with the families that brought small children. He missed his son.

"There now, it's dinnertime, and it should be pretty much done." Mayako rose and walked to the kitchen. "I sat aside some soup and other things earlier. I'll just get them on the stove."

Kenshin huffed in relief and stood. "Excuse me a moment." He sketched a quick bow and slipped outside at full speed. He'd drunk more tea than his bladder could bear. Coming out the door of the outhouse, he stepped aside just in time to avoid colliding with Kaoru, and he grinned as she by him. It was nice to know that he wasn't entirely alone in his suffering. Supper was simple, _quiet,_ and perfect. And tea-less. Good or not, he wasn't touching another cup of tea until tomorrow. After dinner, he made his excuses to their hosts and the Hanaris merely smiled with understanding eyes, extracting a promise that they would say goodbye before leaving in the morning.

Once in their room, he sighed in relief as he shut the shoji behind them. Kaoru eyed the pile of gifts critically, her hands on her hips. "At least they're small. But how on earth are we going to carry all of them?" She knelt and began to sort through the little packages; there was quite a bit of food; a few handmade trinkets; one tiny painting, made on a smooth little piece of wood; a pretty red hair ribbon for Kaoru; and a small red and blue top, presumably for Kenji. Kaoru stacked the gifts and tidied away the wrapping cloths, treating the items with care.

Kenshin watched her quietly. The day had been an endless parade of strangers. The sight of her, looking so _normal_ , so very much like home... Kenshin's chest ached as he watched her, and he wanted so badly to touch her – and the marvel of it was that he could. He seated himself behind her and shifted forward. He raised his hands to her shoulders and squeezed lightly. She started a little, then relaxed backwards, against his chest, and he began untying the knots holding her clothing in place.

* * *

She arched her neck to the side, confident in her own appeal and comfortable with him, with his touch, and he smiled, happily kissing that offered skin. She hummed in approval as the last of her ties fell away and turned to face him. He eased the borrowed kimono off her arms and placed it over the chest against the wall, trying to coax her onto the bed. She smiled and resisted, instead moving to strip him out of his own clothes, while he carefully pulled the pins from her hair.

 _So soft…_ Somehow all the feminine parts of Kaoru were so divinely soft, her hips and breasts and lips. He tightened his arms to pull her close, flattening those lovely breasts against his chest, and raised them both to their knees, cradling his hips against hers. He filled a hand with firm, round backside, kneading appreciatively and pressing her even closer as she began a little rocking motion against him.

He moaned quietly into her mouth at the friction, and tilted her hips up a fraction, meeting that teasing rhythm, the wonderful slide of her soft skin over his made him pant.

She pulled away and lay down, then reached for his hand. Kenshin caught his breath at the site of her lying there, her blue eyes shining in welcome, the lamplight playing over her smooth skin. He settled down over her, stroking wondering fingers over her cheek. She watched him watching her, and her smile changed to just slightly smug. Shaking his head, he leaned in to kiss that smiling mouth, and she let him, allowing him to lead this particular dance. He trailed his fingers across her jaw and caressed her neck, savoring the wet glide of her tongue in his mouth. She threaded one of her hands into his hair, curled a leg around the back of his thigh, and for several minutes, kissing Kaoru was his entire world. When she finally began to grow restless under him, he pulled away from that sweet mouth and worked downward, sucking and nibbling at her neck and collarbones. He dropped little kisses across her belly, stroking her thighs and hips and sides as he scooted downward.

Propping himself on an elbow, he delicately separated that tender flesh, before he took the first, reverent lick, while reaching for a breast with his free hand. His arm was barely long enough to reach from this position, but he could and did, the ends of his fingers brushing gently over her nipple while his mouth lavished care on her center.

Kaoru whined quietly, but he kept the pressure of his tongue light and teasing, listening to the changed cadence of her breathing. He ran careful, gentle circle _s_ with the tip of his tongue, causing her to arch and turn her head to the side, fingers clenched in the blankets. She was so uninhibited, and he adored it; her response to his touch, to his hands and mouth, always made his own arousal coil tight. He abandoned her breast, his left hand still busy, while the fingers of his right eased inside her, teasing and pressing. She started shivering, her neck and chest flushing pink, and he knew all of the signs; she was very close. He drew her little bud into his mouth and sucked, curling his fingers and stroking the nerves of that little rough patch in her sheath, and then she arched her back, bowing completely off of the mattress, whining and shaking, growing impossibly wetter around his fingers.

As she relaxed back onto the futon, panting like she'd been running a race. Pressing her hips downward and he tongued at her hard and fast, chasing her back up that crest before she'd even finished coming down. It didn't take long at all before she came a second time, bucking and shivering under his hands. At last, he pulled away and pressed his forehead against her belly, drawing in a deep, unsteady breath. He wiped his face clean and crawled back up her body.

She was a wonderful mess, flushed and sweating and dazed. He guided her up and forward, curling an arm around her hips as he brought her onto his lap. He glided inside her effortlessly, and he closed eyes briefly; she was exquisite. She braced both hands on his shoulders as he showed her the rhythm he wanted, coaxing her into a slow, lazy, rocking motion, her strong legs working to bring them both pleasure.

He placed an arm across the small of her back to encourage her to arch backwards,and _ah –_ complete, total access to her long-forbidden breasts. Lowering his head, he slowly, reverently, drew one of those lovely, soft breasts into his mouth. _So long..._ it had been so long since he'd been _allowed_ , and that coveted flesh in his mouth felt so good: soft and sweet. Her nipple pebbled, and the texture was wonderful on his tongue. He sucked and licked, gently plucking them with his lips. Kaoru's hands were in his hair again, holding him pressed against her chest and it was wonderful. He'd nearly forgotten.

He caressed her breasts as she rode him, her wet, soft-strong body so, so perfect. When he felt the familiar tingling of the end approaching, he reluctantly relinquished her breasts and laid down. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his shoulders, smiling, and abruptly changed her pace. She gave him _fast_ , and he could focus on nothing but his reflexive thrusts into his wife's body. Soon, she was shivering and sweating, her skin slick over and around him. Panting, he reached for her center again and began a quick, firm circling motion with the flat of his fingers, because that's the way she liked it when she was this close.

She reared backward, neck arched and body stiff, pulsing and clenching around him and he watched through her through dazed eyes. When her lashes fluttered open again, she smiled a lazy, sated smile. His heart was pounding in his ears, his mouth was dry and without conscious thought, he reached out, clasped her hips and pulled her forward while he pushed back. It was too much, it wasn't enough, it was so close, and it was just _almost…_ Kaoru, his beautiful woman, met him thrust for thrust, leaning over him, her hands by his shoulders and her hair falling over his face and chest. He bit his lips, hard, to stifle the desire to groan. Pulling her forward, off of his cock, he shook and spasmed as he released, pleasure whiting out the edges of his world.

* * *

Afterward, he simply lay still next to his wife, relishing the aftereffects and enjoying the warmth of his wife's body - until Kaoru began to giggle.

"Oro?" He looked over and raised his eyebrows as she giggled harder, pressing her hands over her mouth to muffle the sound. He raised onto an elbow and tugged teasingly at her wrists.

"How long have you been wanting to do that?" She asked. He raised his eyebrows, and she gestured to her chest.

He smiled. "How old is Kenji again?" Kaoru laughed and shoved his shoulder, and he obligingly flung himself away and onto his back on the soft futon, languidly stretching his arms over his head as she turned away to clean up.

Kaoru rested against him, her head on his shoulder, and he welcomed her, curling his arm around her. She was rubbing her feet together, which always meant that she wanted to talk. He waited.

"We should threaten him."

That was _not_ what he'd been expecting. "Oro?"

"The headman." She raised her head to look him in the eye. "We should threaten Yaganita."

He blinked. "...There is no need, that there isn't."

"He's awful! We have to -" she cut off, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Kenshin. Did you already threaten him?"

Ignorance was likely his best defense. "Oro?"

"You did! You threatened him without me!"

"Oro!" She darted a hand downward, trying to reach the ticklish spot above his left hip and he only half-heartedly tried to evade her, because laughing was pleasant, and because playing with Kaoru made him happy.


	15. Chapter 15

This is it! It's done. Over. I'm dancing inside.

I'm _tired._ It's five times longer than anything else I've ever written. I'm going to take a nap. For a month.

Thank you to Animanical, my wonderful beta reader.

Thank you to my reviewers, who fill my heart with happy, fuzzy feelings of joy and keep me writing.

* * *

" _Kenshin. Did you already threaten him?"_

 _Ignorance was likely his best defense. "Oro?"_

" _You did! You threatened him without me!"_

" _Oro!" She darted a hand downward, trying to reach the ticklish spot above his left hip and he only half-heartedly tried to evade her, because laughing was pleasant, and because playing with Kaoru made him happy._

* * *

Kenshin sat the little package on the floor and examined it, turning it this way and that, watching the predawn light play over the cloth. _Should I have used red? ... I should have used red…_ He'd spent an inordinate amount of time on this already, so he only sighed, packed the gift away, and then woke Kaoru. After coaxing his grumpy wife out of bed, they headed down to one last breakfast with the Hanaris.

Kaoru had barely taken the first bite when Mayako said, "The road might still be muddy in spots. Be careful."

"Yes, Mayako-san."

"And you're still a bit too thin, Kenshin-kun; I packed plenty of food, so make sure you eat enough."

"Yes, Mayako-dono."

"Be sure to write, too. Okabe-sensai can read."

"Yes, Mayako-san."

Kenshin made the mistake of taking a large sip of tea.

"If Kenji-chan is nearly three, I'll expect news of another child soon," Mayako said, and he swallowed the hot liquid incorrectly, nearly choking. Iesada slapped him on the back.

"M-Mayako-dono..."

She sniffed unapologetically. "Well. You're both young and healthy. And I've got a soft spot of redheaded babies."

Leaving took nearly twenty minutes, as Mayako couldn't stop bustling around them, checking that they had everything she deemed necessary for the journey. Eventually even she could find nothing lacking, and the couple gently bid her a final farewell. Mayako smoothed her hands down her apron one last time, her face twisted in some type of distress.

"Mayako-dono?" Kenshin asked, before Mayako darted forward and nearly squeezed him breathless in a quick, tight hug, then drew back just as quickly.

"Oro?"

"Be sure to write!" Then she nearly threw them out of the house. Kenshin blinked in the sunshine, while Kaoru smothered her laughter with a raised hand.

.

.

.

The villages were so close that the walk would take minutes, not hours, meaning that in less than an hour, Kenshin would be introduced to his sister. Excitement and anxiety swirled together in his gut. _What will this one say to her?_ Had she thought about him over the years? Did she even remember him? She was a little older than he was, arguably she _should_ remember, but they had both been very young…

Kaoru stepped around a sizeable rock and into his space, slipped her arm through his and hugged it to her chest. "She's going to be so happy to see you, Kenshin. You'll see." He glanced over and offered her a strained smile. She hugged his arm more firmly. The little village came into view, as picturesque as its sister, and Kenshin paused a moment to take it in: one deep breath in, and then they started the climb up the road that cut through the village center, exactly like the village they had just left. Recalling Iesada's directions, Kenshin counted houses anxiously as they walked.

 _Ninth on the right, Ninth on the right..._ Suddenly, there it was. It was a neat little house, basically identical to the others, but with a pretty little flower garden already beginning to bloom. _She must be a skilled gardener…_ He stared for longer than he'd intended, and Kaoru gently elbowed him in the side. He took a reflexive step forward, but Kaoru tugged him back.

"Your hat," she whispered.

"Oh." He hastily untied it, then moved forward and lightly tapped on the door. "Pardon me?"

The door slid open – revealing a pretty child, about four years old. "Hello?" She was dressed in clean, well-repaired clothing, a neatly tied ribbon holding back her dark hair.

"Hello." Kenshin kept his voice gentle. "Are your parents home?"

"Yes."

Kenshin's lips twitched. "May this one speak with them?"

"Okay!" She bounced away, leaving the door wide open. He glanced at his wife to find her grinning, and his stomach settled a little at this oddly sweet welcome. It took only a few moments before a woman's voice filtered out of the house.

"You left them there? Naoyuki, where are your manners?!" Rapid footsteps came their way, and Kenshin caught his breath as she came into view: she was petite, her bright red hair pulled back – she had his chin. She was looking down, drying her hands on her apron, as she hurried to the door. "I'm so sorry, my daughter-" Her words cut off as she looked up. "I - um - you are - I'm sorry… Can I help you?"

Kenshin couldn't seem to find his tongue. Kaoru stepped forward. "Chiho-san?" The woman blinked and looked at her, nodding. "My name is Kamiya Kaoru." She bowed politely. "And this is my husband Kenshin." Kenshin tried to smile, and hoped that he'd managed it around his numb facial muscles. Chiho huffed out a breath and leaned against the doorframe. She pressed a hand over her heart and stared. Kenshin stared back.

Clearly beginning to get nervous, Kaoru started talking again. "We're so sorry to have dropped in like this! But -"

Chiho startled and flicked her gaze away from Kenshin."No!" she interrupted. "No, no, no. Please, please come in!" The inside of the house was spotlessly clean, the furnishings worn but in good repair. Kenshin seated himself where she indicated, and continued staring like an idiot. She had his nose. Kaoru sat to his left, and his – his _sister_ sat across from them. She was still staring at him, just as rudely as Kenshin was staring at her. Her eyes were more blue than violet. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but didn't manage to say anything.

"Mooom! Tatsuyo is being mean!" A little girl, maybe eight years old, exploded into the room, with an older boy close on her heels.

"No I wasn't. Aki wasn't supposed to be in the vegetable garden and she _was_ , and you said -"

"No, I wasn't! I _wasn't_ in the vegetable patch, he's fibbing!"

"Yes, she was, I prom-"

"We have guests," Chiho cut in, her voice calm and composed. Both children froze and and immediately looked their way. The boy was not quite a teenager, but he was close, with his mother's eyes. All three children, and his sister, were clothed in shades of red and brown, and it caused snippets of childhood memories flit across his mind **.** A third child ran into the room, obviously wanting to be part of the action, as the elder two looked down at the floor, chastened.

"Sorry." It was a sad little chorus, and Kenshin smiled.

"That's quite alright, so it is."

Rapidly recovering, the middle child looked him over boldly. "You've got red hair!" she blurted, and then blushed as Chiho gave her a _look._

"Aa, so I do."

"Are you from Shiraiyama?"

"Originally, this one believes."

Chiho took in a pained little breath. "So… you – have we met then?"

His stomach was in knots. He nodded. "I believe so. This one… was originally named 'Shinta,' that I was." Chiho was silent, her lips pressed together and her eyes unreadable. Kenshin felt frozen, staring at the woman across the table, desperately trying to puzzle out what she thought of his statement. Even her energies were muddled and he wasn't quite sure…

A small voice interrupted: "So where are you from now?"

"We're from Tokyo," Kaoru said, beginning a quiet conversation with the children, their voices a background murmur. Kenshin's own heartbeat was loud in his ears.. He consciously steeled his nerves and waited; he'd come to her home uninvited, and would do her the courtesy of allowing her to decide what she wished to do about that.

She started to cry, and Kenshin panicked. He wanted to bash his head on the table, or take Kaoru and run, he wanted to gasp apologies for the presumption, he wanted to be back in Tokyo immediately. He opened his mouth to say something, _anything._ Chiho interrupted him by leaning across the table and grabbing his face, pulling him to meet her halfway. She rested her forehead against his.

"I prayed every day that you would find your way home." Her voice was a trembling whisper. Kenshin watched as shining tears trailed down her cheeks and had no idea what to say.

"Mom?" Her son's voice was anxious.

Chiho pulled away and wiped her cheeks. "Go get your father from the fields. Tell him that my brother has come home."

The boy's eyes grew huge, and he bolted blindly for the door, then jerked around, bowed hastily and snatched up the eldest girl's hand, pulling her out the door with him. The littlest child tilted her head curiously, and put a finger in her mouth: dark hair aside, she looked very much like her mother. "You're my uncle?"

Kenshin swallowed against his dry throat. "Yes, that I am," he said, his voice a quiet rasp.

"Okay!" She picked up her doll and plopped down to the floor to play, clearly unimpressed with her new relatives.

"...You changed your name," Chiho said, with the hint of a question in her voice.

He looked back to his sister. "Yes, long ago."

She nodded. Kaoru elbowed him firmly in the side, and he blinked over at her, blankly. Her eyes were wide and laden with meaning; she nodded ever-so-slightly at Chiho. He blinked at her again.

Kaoru smiled and turned to Chiho. "He was adopted soon after leaving here. His master renamed him."

 _Oh. Oh!_ "Yes." He nodded. _...I am a half-wit._ Chiho raised a hand to her mouth, her blue eyes crinkled at the corners with amusement.

"I shall fetch us some tea." His sister excused herself and left the room, presumably to the kitchen. As soon as Chiho was out of sight, Kaoru reach for his hand and squeezed.

"It's okay, you see? She's happy and everything is fine. Relax, Kenshin." He breathed out, straightening his shoulders and reaching for equilibrium.

His sister resettled herself and served the tea. "...Do you have any children?"

"Yes, one, that I do." Kaoru quietly cleared her throat. He continued, "His name is Kenji; he is two years old."

Chiho smiled. "We have the three you've just met; Tatsuyo will be thirteen this fall, then there's Aki, who's nine, and little Naoyuki is not quite five."

"Kaoru-dono and this one were married three years ago," he tried again.

"That's nice," she shifted forward a bit on her knees, and her smile was eager. "Haru and I have been married thirteen years this summer. Did I hear that you live in Tokyo?"

"Yes," he said, and Kaoru elbowed him again, just a bit. "This one has lived there for the last five years, that I have."

Chiho smiled, and there was only a little tension in her mouth. "Such a big city! I can't imagine."

"This one has a garden," he blurted. "Your flower garden is very... nice." He could feel his ears turning red at the inanity of his attempts at conversation. She smiled, though, and that was worth it.

"I enjoy gardening. Do you remember Mother's garden?"

"No..." he said, regretting it immediately – Chiho's smile fell, and his stomach began to knot again.

"Well… you were very young," she murmured and looked down to her lap, picking at her sleeves.

Kaoru, beloved woman, rescued him. "What did your mother grow?" She smiled her lovely smile, friendly and open, the one that always put people at ease. His sister blossomed, regaining her own smile and sitting straight again.

"She loved flowers."

"What kind were her favorite?" Kaoru led the conversation along, keeping Chiho talking, and allowing Kenshin room to breathe. He looked around the room and was pleased with what he saw. The furnishing were old, but everything a family might need was there. The cushions were worn but soft and plump. The tea set was no masterwork, but it was still very pretty. The room was full of sunshine. The walls were sturdy and well-sealed; there wasn't a draft, despite the wind. Chiho herself was dressed in a homespun kimono that was relatively new and had a nice weight; it seemed warm. After a few minutes, Kaoru began to draw him into the conversation as well. Kenshin followed her lead with relief, only too happy to allow her to clear the way. It wasn't long before he began to enjoy himself.

The words washed over him, but in it, he learned that his sister was clever. She was sweet natured. She liked to talk. Kenshin soaked it all in, and he felt… pleased and full and warm, sitting in that sunny little room, drinking tea and pretending that he hadn't noticed the small chip in his cup.

"Chiho?" A man that was certainly Kenshin's brother-in-law nearly skidded into the room, a little out of breath. He was of medium build and dark complexion, and a worried frown creased his face. His brown eyes were openly worried, and his posture stiff.

Chiho leapt to her feet, a beautiful smile on her face. "Haru! Haru, come meet my brother. This is my _brother,_ Kamiya Kenshin-san and his wife, Kaoru-san."

He murmured polite greetings and waited while Chiho fussed over her husband, tugging at his sleeve to coax him to the table. Kenshin was careful to keep his _ki_ calm and nonthreatening. After the man had taken that first quiet sip, Kenshin produced a small, prettily wrapped gift and extended it with steady hands..

His sister's face lit like a lantern. "Oh, how pretty! I couldn't possibly accept."

"It's nothing really," he coaxed.

"No, no," Chiho said, "it's not necessary."

"It's only a small thing, so it is."

Chiho tucked it away carefully, smiling widely. Something seemed to ease somewhat, soothed by the familiar rituals of tea and gifts, and the conversation flowed more easily for several minutes.

"How did you find your way here, Kamiya-san?" Haru asked.

Kaoru smiled and leaned slightly into Kenshin's side. "We met Manami-san in the market, actually. She recognized Kenshin, and so we came to visit." Haru's tension seemed to ease a little.

"What is it that you do, in Tokyo?"

He smiled. "This one mostly cares for our home, and Kenji, although I do have an herb garden. I have some small training in making medicine, that I do."

"Oh!" Chiho's smile was bright. "That's so interesting!"

The conversation relaxed, although it was still strange. The questions were far more personal than would be considered polite, but it was a _family_ visit, and the mix of casual and strange was to expected. Chiho was transparently happy, keeping up an excited stream of chatter, and Kenshin was more than content with that. Lunch was a happy affair – he delighted in watching his nephew and nieces try very hard to use their best table manners.

"Kamiya-san?" Haru's brow was creased, a touch of challenge in his eyes. Kenshin tilted his head in inquiry, projecting peaceful calm. "Perhaps you would like a tour of the village."

Kenshin nodded politely, smiling guilelessly as he rose and slid the sakabatou through his waistband. Kaoru shifted to rise and he could feel her nervousness. "Kaoru-dono, please do not trouble yourself. This one is certain that we will return shortly." There was mutiny in her eyes, but her composure was flawless; something in his expression convinced her to remain seated.

The two men walked quietly for several minutes, passing neat country homes and gardens. Kenshin smiled at a group children as they tumbled past, playing some form of chase.

Haru didn't speak until the reached the lowest terrace of a rice field. "You've been gone a long time, Kamiya-san. Manami-san _is_ in Tokyo, but…"

"This one was quite surprised to meet her, that I was."

Haru seemed to be chewing over his words. "Chiho – she's always missed her brother." A strange little pain shot through Kenshin's chest. "She might not- she might not look too closely at a man claiming to be him. So I have to."

There was now open challenge in the other man's eyes, but Kenshin didn't resent the suspicion; it was comforting, to know his sister had someone to protect her soft heart. He kept his voice and manner gentle. "This one wishes nothing from your wife, other than a visit, that I don't."

"...How long are you staying?"

"We should leave tonight; we have a son waiting for us in Kyoto." A single day's visit would mean that they were not seeking lodging, and would not eat food meant for his children's mouths. Haru nodded, and he finally relaxed. "This one would like to write, however, and we return to Kyoto for a visit each spring; it would be nice to visit Akaida as well, so it would."

"That would be a good thing. Chicho has always missed her brother," Haru repeated, this time with a smile, and they turned around, heading back towards the neat little house that Kenshin's sister called home.

They stayed the rest of the afternoon, but as the shadows began to lengthen, he covertly plucked at Kaoru's sleeve. She meet his gaze and he nodded subtly toward the door; her eyes widened, but she nodded.

"We should be going; it will be dark soon, so it will."

Chiho's face fell instantly. "You're leaving already? But you must stay the night!"

"But Kenji-chan is waiting for us, and we've been gone too long already," Kenshin said, keeping his own disappointment in check.

"It's alright, we visit Kyoto every year! And we'll write," Kaoru promised. Chiho looked unhappy, but nodded reluctantly, and stood. She seemed surprised when Kaoru suddenly clasped her hands. "I'm glad to have gained a sister."

With happy tears in her eyes once more, Chiho saw them off, waving until they were out of sight.

Kaoru was smiling as they walked, nearly vibrating with excitement. When they had completely left the village behind, she sprang. Kenshin caught her in both arms, laughing in the face of her joy. Her hands were in his hair as she covered his face with kisses.

"It- was- perfect!"

"Mm."

"Kenshin…You did so well!" She pulled away and, alone with his wife, he smiled until he could feel the corners of his eyes crease; his heart was light and his arms were full of a happy Kaoru. What could be better? "We'll write, and come back next year."

"Yes, so we will."

She stepped back and tugged at his hand. "Then come on; let's go get our son."

.

.

.

The walked until just before dark, perhaps three _ri_ , and Kenshin busied himself with fetching water and starting the fire for dinner as Kaoru unrolled their bedding. That night, he lay with her in their little bed; he still didn't sleep, they were outdoors and vulnerable, but he was wrapped comfortably around his warm wife, her soft hair tickling his chin. He'd need to be careful, always, to not lead danger to his newfound family. He needed to have a conversation with Aoshi and Misao; the villages were outside of their usual range, but they were closest. He was confident that they would not mind adding those two sleepy little towns to the list of places watched by the Oniwabanshu.

The rest of the walk to the Aoiya was easy; the wind was not as fierce and the road was largely downhill. Kaoru's feet had healed during the weeks in Shirayama, and Kenshin was careful to dawdle excessively. He was also careful not to smile when the sight of the Aoiya brought an audible sigh of relief from Kaoru.

Omasu spotted them walking down the street. Her shout was the loudest sound he had ever heard from her. "Kamiya-san! Kamiya-san! You're back!" She dropped the stack of linens in her arms and hurried toward them, quickly followed by a myriad of rapid footsteps, as the various members of the Oniwabanshuu poured out of the front door. Friendly voices overlapped and friendly hands reached for packs but Kenshin's eyes were trained on the entrance. _There_! In the arms of a haggard Misao squirmed a familiar red-headed toddler.

Kenshin peripherally registered that Misao looked exhausted, while Kenji looked happy and clean and just a little bit sticky. His little face lit with excitement when he spotted his parents and he wriggled out of Misao's grip with urgency **.**

"Mama! Daddy!" He ran as fast as chubby legs could carry him. He went to Kaoru first and she scooped him up, his arms tight around her neck, like a little person-sized scarf.

"Auntie Misao took us- we saw jigglers!"

"Jugglers."

"An' Auntie Omasu made ohagi! It was good." He allowed himself to be transferred to Kenshin's arms. "An' Auntie Misao gave Kenji a _bath!"_ The disgust in his voice made Kenshin smile, Kenji's chatter and the others' questions and news a pleasant backdrop for his silent inventory: Kenji _was_ just slightly sticky, his skin baby-smooth and soft, he smelled like soap and little boy, and his hair was silky under Kenshin's chin; his grip on his father was almost tight enough to strangle and Kenshin couldn't have cared less. They were settled in the Aoiya's main room briskly and served tea and cakes while everyone tried to share their news all at once.

There was all the usual rabble of talking and laughing. It wasn't quite home, and they wouldn't be home for at least another week; they had responsibilities in Kyoto, to Shishou and to Tomoe. But it was good and it was familiar, and they would be home soon enough. His garden was overdue for planting, and Kenshin longed for that little green space. Kaoru's students would be waiting, and so would peaceful days of breakfast and laundry and weeding and _being –_ and letters. There would be days of letters, sending and receiving, and days of reading about his sister's life, and the goings on of two little villages tucked away in the mountains. Truly, nothing much had changed, but now there was _more_ , more family, more joy, and… more peace.

Kenshin accepted a cup of sake, and smiled at the sweet flavor on his tongue.


End file.
